Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41277845›Full record

ArticleJournal of virology2025

Zyxin restricts viral fusion and entry across multiple virus families.

Qing Fan, Jenai Quan, Gregory A Smith, Richard Longnecker

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of virology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Qing FanDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9673-5575
Jenai QuanDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Gregory A SmithDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9644-8472
Richard LongneckerDepartment of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7175-6217

Funding

Mechanism of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Induced Membrane FusionR01AI148478 · NIAID · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI Sarah A. Connolly, Qing Fan · 2020 to 2026
$3.6M
Virus-host interactions governing alpha-herpesvirus genome delivery and neuroinvasionR01AI148780 · NIAID · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI PICKARD, GARY EDWARD, SAVAS, JEFFREY NICHOLAS · 2020 to 2024
$2.5M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI148478NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI148780
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The entry of enveloped viruses into host cells requires fusion of the viral envelope with a host cell membrane. The composition and dynamics of cellular membranes are impacted by the underlying cytoskeleton. Zyxin, a cytosolic protein that bridges the actin cytoskeleton with adhesion receptor proteins, was recently identified as an antiviral factor that antagonizes herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) entry. To determine if zyxin specifically interferes with membrane fusion, we examined its impact in a quantitative cell-cell fusion assay. HSV-1 entry proteins exhibited enhanced fusion activity with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells when the cells were knocked out (KO) for zyxin. Zyxin-KO cells also showed enhanced fusion activity with pseudorabies virus (PRV), paramyxovirus, and rhabdovirus fusion proteins. Additionally, the size of plaques formed following infection with members of each viral family was increased in the absence of zyxin. Bulk RNA sequencing of wild-type (WT) and zyxin-KO RPE cells identified 18 genes that enrich into several ontology groups of interest, including regulation of membrane potential, herpes simplex virus 1 infection (CCL2 and ZNF14), NABA core matrisome (CCL2 and ZNF14), extracellular matrix organization (CTSK, SERPINE1, and TGFB2), cell-cell adhesion (RAC2 and TGFB2), anchoring fibril formation, and regulation of the MAPK cascade (ACKR3 and TGFB2). These results highlight zyxin as a broadly active antiviral factor and suggest potential therapeutic implications for viral infections.IMPORTANCEEnveloped viruses enter host cells by fusing their envelope with a cellular membrane. This process is triggered when a viral glycoprotein(s) engages with a cellular membrane receptor. Less well understood are the cytoplasmic factors that indirectly govern viral fusion and entry. We report that zyxin, a cellular protein that bridges cell-adhesion receptors with the underlying actin cytoskeleton, antagonizes the fusion and entry of several enveloped viruses.

Indexed as

Virus InternalizationZyxinAnimalsCell LineHerpesvirus 1, HumanHost-Pathogen InteractionsHumansRetinal Pigment EpitheliumZyxinentryfusionherpes simplex virus type 1parainfluenza viruspseudorabies virusRNA sequencingvesicular stomatitis viruszyxin

Identifiers

PMID41277845
PMCPMC12724350

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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.