Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42575249›Full record

ArticleVirologica Sinica2026

SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibits the replication of influenza viruses through the cleavage of NP and PA.

Liubing Du, Xiaoyu Cai, Ziliang Peng, Mengxuan Wang, Huijie Li, Xue Liu, Zhihui Zhang, Manqi Cao, Shuchun Zhang, Zhenyu He and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Virologica Sinica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

18 authors.

Liubing DuThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China; The Division of Basic Research, Guangzhou National Laboratory, Bio-island, Guangzhou 510320, China.
Xiaoyu CaiSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Ziliang PengThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Mengxuan WangThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Huijie LiThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Xue LiuThe Center for Infection and Immunity Study, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Zhihui ZhangThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Manqi CaoThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Shuchun ZhangThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Zhenyu HeThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Zhanjia ZhangThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Yu YanThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Qitong LinThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Yushan XueThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Deyin GuoThe Division of Basic Research, Guangzhou National Laboratory, Bio-island, Guangzhou 510320, China.
Ji-An PanThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China; The Center for Infection and Immunity Study, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China. Electronic address: pengxx9@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Yao-Qing ChenSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China. Electronic address: chenyaoqing@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Xiaoxue PengThe Molecular Cancer Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China; The Center for Infection and Immunity Study, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen 518107, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Systems Medicine in Inflammatory Diseases, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China. Electronic address: panjan@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The co-circulation of multiple viruses can lead to distinct pathological outcomes, yet how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection influences other viral infections remains poorly understood, despite its documented high frequency during the pandemic. In this study, we investigated how the proteolytic activity of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CLpro) influences the replication of influenza A virus. In silico analysis identified candidate 3CLpro cleavage sites across numerous viral proteins, and biochemical assays confirmed that 3CLpro catalyzes the degradation of influenza virus nucleoprotein (NP) and polymerase acidic protein (PA) in a manner requiring its protease activity. This degradation of NP and PA, which are essential for viral genome packaging and transcription, disrupted the influenza replicative cycle and suppressed viral replication, both upon ectopic 3CLpro expression and during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data uncover a direct, enzyme-based mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 can suppress influenza virus replication during coinfection. We provide a molecular explanation for the sharp, global decline in influenza activity observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and illustrate how enzymatic weapons of one virus can be repurposed to restrain a competing pathogen.

Indexed as

Coronavirus 3C ProteasesCoronavirus RNA-Dependent RNA PolymeraseInfluenza A virusRNA-Binding ProteinsRNA-Dependent RNA PolymeraseSARS-CoV-2Viral Core ProteinsVirus ReplicationAnimalsDogsHEK293 CellsHumansMadin Darby Canine Kidney CellsNucleocapsid ProteinsProteolysisRNA Replication3C-like proteinase, SARS-CoV-2Coronavirus 3C ProteasesCoronavirus RNA-Dependent RNA PolymeraseNP protein, Influenza A virusNucleocapsid ProteinsPA protein, influenza virusesRNA-Binding ProteinsRNA-Dependent RNA PolymeraseViral Core ProteinsViral Proteins3C-like protease (3CLpro)Influenza virusNucleoprotein (NP)Polymerase acidic protein (PA)SARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID42575249
PMCPMC13556349

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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.