A Functional Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1) in the Suppression of Influenza A Virus Replication

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 24;10(4):e0124651. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124651. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Influenza A virus causes annual epidemics and occasional pandemics in humans. Here, we investigated four members of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family; FGFR1 to 4, and examined their expression patterns in human lung epithelial cells A549 with influenza A virus infection. We identified a functional role of FGFR1 in influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8) and A/Anhui/01/2005 (H5N1) virus replication. Our results showed that FGFR1 silencing by siRNA interference promoted influenza A/PR8 and H5N1 virus replication in A549 cells, while lentivirus-mediated exogenous FGFR1 expression significantly suppressed influenza A virus replication; however, FGFR4 did not have the same effects. Moreover, FGFR1 phosphorylation levels were downregulated in A549 cells by influenza A virus infection, while the repression of FGFR1 kinase using PD173074, a potent and selective FGFR1 inhibitor, could enhance virus replication. Furthermore, we found that FGFR1 inhibits influenza virus internalization, but not binding, during viral entry. These results suggested that FGFR1 specifically antagonizes influenza A virus replication, probably by blocking viral entry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • ErbB Receptors / drug effects
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Gene Silencing
  • Humans
  • Influenza A virus / drug effects
  • Influenza A virus / physiology*
  • Influenza, Human / genetics
  • Influenza, Human / metabolism*
  • Influenza, Human / virology*
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 / genetics
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 / metabolism*
  • Transcriptome
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Virus Attachment
  • Virus Internalization
  • Virus Replication* / drug effects

Substances

  • PD 173074
  • Pyrimidines
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1

Grants and funding

This work is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Basic Research Program (973, 2012CB518905, http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/). XW received the funding. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.