Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41972757›Full record

ArticlemBio2026

Linker histone H1.2 inhibits HSV-1-induced IFN response via cGAS.

Sirui Li, Chenglong Li, Fengyi Zhou, Yihua Zhang, Manman Li, Bingying Xie, Lulu Ning, Xinguang Lin, Baoyu Zhao, Xiaowu Hong and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in mBio, 2026. 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

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

11 authors.

Sirui Li *Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0002-5330-8116
Chenglong Li *Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Fengyi ZhouDepartment of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yihua ZhangDepartment of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Manman LiNingbo Research Institute, Fudan University, Ningbo, China.
Bingying XieDepartment of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Lulu NingDepartment of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xinguang LinShanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Baoyu ZhaoKey Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xiaowu HongDepartment of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Dapeng YanDepartment of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1977-8977

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Linker histone H1.2 (H1.2), as a member of the histone H1 family involved in many cellular physiological regulatory functions, plays a vital role in maintaining nucleosome and chromatin stability. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a critical cytoplasmic DNA sensor that activates the downstream STING pathway by synthesizing 2'3'-cGAMP, which, in turn, triggers IFN-I response following double-stranded DNA virus infection. This study demonstrates that histone H1.2 is an essential negative regulator of cGAS, inhibiting antiviral immunity during HSV-1 infection. Mechanistically, H1.2 affects the activity of the Lys240 site of cGAS to affect the combination of cGAS with chromatin and promotes the degradation of cGAS in the nucleus by recruiting TRIM28, finally suppressing its IFN response. Moreover, HSV-1 infection downregulates H1.2 expression by reducing the mRNA levels of its transcription factor Sp1, thus allowing cGAS release to activate type I interferon signaling. Additionally, plicamycin, a selective inhibitor of Sp1, can reduce H1.2 expression and enhance antiviral immunity in mice against HSV-1 infection. These findings elucidate the function and regulatory mechanisms of the Sp1-H1.2-cGAS axis in innate immunity and propose new targets and strategies for antiviral drug development.IMPORTANCEPrevious studies on histone H1.2 mainly focused on its function of DNA damage repair and chromatin stability. However, our research found the new function and mechanism of H1.2 in anti-infection immune regulation and confirmed H1.2 as an important negative regulatory molecule responsible for inhibition of cGAS, the important sensor in pathogenic recognition. In the nucleus, H1.2 maintained the inactive state of cGAS by promoting its combination to chromatin and recruiting TRIM28 to degrade the inactive cGAS. We revealed the mechanism of host cells regulating antiviral immunity through the Sp1-H1.2-cGAS axis and found plicamycin could be used as a potential anti-infective drug. These data may offer important reference value for innate immune research.

Indexed as

Herpes SimplexHerpesvirus 1, HumanHistonesInterferonsInterferon Type INucleotidyltransferasesAnimalscGAS-STING Signaling PathwayCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseHumansImmunity, InnateMicecGAS protein, humancGAS protein, mouseCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseHistonesInterferonsInterferon Type INucleotidyltransferasescGASHSVIFN responselinker histone H1.2

Identifiers

PMID41972757
PMCPMC13170280

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Registered trials

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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.