HHV-6B reduces autophagy and induces ER stress in primary monocytes impairing their survival and differentiation into dendritic cells

• Published in: Virus research 2019-11, Vol.273, p.197757-197757, Article 197757
• Main Authors: Romeo, Maria Anele, Gilardini Montani, Maria Saveria, Falcinelli, Luca, Gaeta, Aurelia, Nazzari, Cristina, Faggioni, Alberto, Cirone, Mara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autophagy; Dendritic cells; ER stress; HHV-6; Monocytes; UPR
• ISSN: 0168-1702; 1872-7492
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2019.197757

[Display omitted] •HHV-6B infects primary monocytes reducing their survival and differentiation into DCs.•HHV-6B reduced autophagy and induces ER stress/UPR in differentiating monocytes.•ER stress is involved in the reduction of monocyte survival and differentiation induced by HHV-6B. HHV-6A and HHV-6B are ubiquitous human betaherpesviruses sharing more than 80% homology. HHV-6B is the most common cause of encephalitis in transplant patients and its primary infection may cause the exanthema subitum and febrile seizures in infants. HHV-6A and HHV-6B are able to infect several immune cell types such as T cells, monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs). In this study we found that HHV-6 B derived from patients affected by exanthema subitum impaired monocyte differentiation into DCs, as the infected cells acquired less CD1a DC marker and retained more CD14 monocyte marker. In agreement with the previous finding that HHV-6B dysregulated autophagy and induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cells in which it replicated, here we found that these effects occurred also in differentiating monocytes and that ER stress relief, by using the chemical chaperone sodium 4-phenylbutirate (PBA), partially restored DC formation. This suggests that the induction of ER stress, likely exacerbated by autophagy inhibition, could contribute to the immune suppression induced by HHV-6B derived from exanthema subitem patients.