Dengue virus compartmentalization during antibody-enhanced infection

Ong, Eugenia Z.; Zhang, Summer L.; Tan, Hwee Cheng; Gan, Esther S.; Chan, Kuan Rong; Ooi, Eng Eong

Secondary infection with a heterologous dengue virus (DENV) serotype increases the risk of severe dengue, through a process termed antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). During ADE, DENV is opsonized with non- or sub-neutralizing antibody levels that augment entry into monocytes and dendritic cells through Fc-gamma receptors (FcγRs). We previously reported that co-ligation of leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor-B1 (LILRB1) by antibody-opsonized DENV led to recruitment of SH2 domain-containing phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) to dephosphorylate spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and reduce interferon stimulated gene induction. Here, we show that LILRB1 also signals through SHP-1 to attenuate the otherwise rapid acidification for lysosomal enzyme activation following FcγR-mediated uptake of DENV. Reduced or slower trafficking of antibody-opsonized DENV to lytic phagolysosomal compartments, demonstrates how co-ligation of LILRB1 also permits DENV to overcome a cell-autonomous immune response, enhancing intracellular survival of DENV. Our findings provide insights on how antiviral drugs that modify phagosome acidification should be used for viruses such as DENV.