Page 88 - JCTR-11-1

Journal of Clinical and

Translational Research

COMMENTARY
Reprogramming of lipid droplets by host cells as

a defense mechanism against viral infection

Chunfu Zheng*
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases University of Calgary, Canada

Abstract

A recent study revealed the crucial roles of host cells in reprogramming lipid droplet
(LD) synthesis to resist viral infection. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of
host resistance to viral infection is necessary to develop safe and effective strategies
to control viral infection. This study provides a thorough examination of the interplay
between the transcription factor YY1 and LD synthesis in the context of viral infection,
with potential implications for both fundamental research and practical applications
in the swine industry.

Keywords: Viral infection; Lipid droplet; Host cell reprogramming; Antiviral mechanism

*Corresponding author:
Chunfu Zheng Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been circulating for
(zheng.alan@hotmail.com) more than 30 years since it was first identified in the late 1980s. Due to the biological
Citation: Zheng C. Reprogramming characteristics of PRRSV, such as high variability, strain diversity, immunosuppression,
of lipid droplets by host cells as and immune escape, it has not been effectively controlled, resulting in increasing harm
a defense mechanism against to the global pig industry. Porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), the primary host cell
1
viral infection. J Clin Transl Res.
2025;11(1):82-84. targets for PRRSV infection, play a crucial role in immune defense. During infection,
doi: 10.36922/jctr.24.00039 PRRSV hijacks various intracellular systems for its replication and evades host immune
2-4
Received: July 8, 2024 surveillance. Host cells, in turn, respond to viral infection by inhibiting viral replication
and clearing the virus. Exploring strategies for host resistance to viral infection is
5,6
1st revised: September 18, 2024
important for identifying new targets to control PRRSV. Lipid droplets (LDs), organelles
2nd revised: September 21, 2024 rich in neutral lipids, are involved in lipid storage and maintaining lipid homeostasis in
Accepted: January 6, 2025 cells; they are also important sites for intracellular energy storage and release. PRRSV
7
Published online: January 23, 2025 hijacks LDs to acquire the energy necessary for replication and serve as assembly sites
for progeny virions. Yin yang 1 (YY1) is widely reported to be overexpressed in cancer
8
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an open-access article tissues, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cervical cancer tissues;
distributed under the terms of the it is directly or indirectly involved in the development of various cancers through its
Creative Commons AttributionNon- transcriptional regulatory activity. However, this study provides a new perspective
9
Commercial 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all on how the transcription factor YY1 reprograms LDs to promote resistance to viral
non-commercial use, distribution, infection.
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is A study reported a high level of YY1 expression in PAMs and the lungs of PRRSV-
properly cited. infected piglets and focused on determining the mechanism by which YY1 affects the
10
Publisher’s Note: AccScience proliferation of PRRSV. YY1 was shown to be a limiting factor for PRRSV proliferation
Publishing remains neutral with both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that the upregulation of YY1 following viral
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional infection serves as an effective mechanism for host cell resistance to viral infection.
affiliations The study reported that the number of LDs in cells increased after viral infection and

Volume 11 Issue 1 (2025) 82 doi: 10.36922/jctr.24.00039