Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40066622›Full record

ArticleEmerging microbes & infections2025

Mpox virus poxin-schlafen fusion protein suppresses innate antiviral response by sequestering STAT2.

Pearl Chan, Zi-Wei Ye, Wenlong Zhao, Chon-Phin Ong, Xiao-Yu Sun, Pak-Hin Hinson Cheung, Dong-Yan Jin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Emerging microbes & infections, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Monkeypox virus protein OPG188 antagonizes cGAS-STING antiviral signaling pathway to mediate immune evasion.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Pearl ChanSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.ORCID 0000-0002-9979-516X
Zi-Wei YeSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.ORCID 0000-0002-6446-4299
Wenlong ZhaoSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Chon-Phin OngSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Xiao-Yu SunSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Pak-Hin Hinson CheungSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.ORCID 0000-0003-3682-7571
Dong-Yan JinSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.ORCID 0000-0002-2778-3530

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mpox virus (MPXV) has to establish efficient interferon (IFN) antagonism for effective replication. MPXV-encoded IFN antagonists have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the IFN antagonism of poxin-schlafen (PoxS) fusion gene of MPXV was characterized. MPXV PoxS was capable of decreasing cGAS-produced 2'3'-cGAMP, like its ortholog poxin of vaccinia virus, which is the first known cytosolic nuclease that hydrolyses the 3'-5' bond of 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP). However, MPXV PoxS did not suppress cGAS-STING-mediated type I IFN production. Instead, MPXV PoxS antagonized basal and type I IFN-induced expression of IFN-stimulated genes such as OAS1, SAMD9, SAMD9L, ISG15, ISG56 and IFIT3. Consistently, MPXV PoxS inhibited both basal and type I IFN-stimulated activity of interferon-stimulated response elements, but did not affect activation of IFN-γ-activated sites. Mechanistically, MPXV PoxS interacted with STAT2 and sequestered it in the cytoplasm. Both the viral schlafen fusion and the active site of 2'3'-cGAMP nuclease were required for STAT2 sequestration and consequent suppression of IFN-stimulated gene expression. MPXV PoxS conferred resistance to the suppression of MPXV replication by type I IFN. Taken together, our findings suggested that MPXV PoxS counteracts host antiviral response by sequestering STAT2 to circumvent basal and type I IFN-induced expression of antiviral genes.

Indexed as

Immunity, InnateMonkeypox virusSTAT2 Transcription FactorViral Fusion ProteinsAnimalsHEK293 CellsHumansInterferon Type INucleotidyltransferasesVaccinia virusVirus ReplicationInterferon Type INucleotidyltransferasesSTAT2 protein, humanSTAT2 Transcription FactorViral Fusion Proteins2′3′-cGAMP hydrolasecGASinnate antiviral responsemonkeypox virusmpox viruspoxinSTAT2STING

Identifiers

PMID40066622
PMCPMC11921170

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.