Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes significant economic losses to the pork industry worldwide each year. Our previous research demonstrated that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) can suppress PRRSV replication via an unknown molecular mechanism. In this study, inhibition of PRRSV replication was demonstrated to be mediated by carbon monoxide (CO), a downstream metabolite of HO-1. Using several approaches, we demonstrate that CO significantly inhibited PRRSV replication in both a PRRSV permissive cell line, MARC-145, and the predominant cell type targeted during in vivo PRRSV infection, porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). Our results showed that CO inhibited intercellular spread of PRRSV; however, it did not affect PRRSV entry into host cells. Furthermore, CO was found to suppress PRRSV replication via the activation of the cyclic GMP/protein kinase G (cGMP/PKG) signaling pathway. CO significantly inhibits PRRSV-induced NF-B activation, a required step for PRRSV replication. Moreover, CO significantly reduced PRRSV-induced proinflammatory cytokine mRNA levels. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that CO exerts its anti-PRRSV effect by activating the cellular cGMP/PKG signaling pathway and by negatively regulating cellular NF-B signaling. These findings not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of HO-1 inhibition of PRRSV replication but also suggest potential new control measures for future PRRSV outbreaks.IMPORTANCE PRRSV causes great economic losses each year to the swine industry worldwide. Carbon monoxide (CO), a metabolite of HO-1, has been shown to have antimicrobial and antiviral activities in infected cells. Our previous research demonstrated that HO-1 can suppress PRRSV replication. Here we show that endogenous CO produced through HO-1 catalysis mediates the antiviral effect of HO-1. CO inhibits PRRSV replication by activating the cellular cGMP/PKG signaling pathway and by negatively regulating cellular NF-B signaling. These findings not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of HO-1 inhibition of PRRSV replication but also suggest potential new control measures for future PRRSV outbreaks.

P orcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most economically important viruses affecting the swine industry worldwide, resulting in significant economic losses each year (1-3). PRRSV is a small, enveloped, linear, single positive-stranded RNA virus and a member of the order Nidovirales, family Arteriviridae (4). Current vaccination strategies cannot effectively control PRRSV infection because of the high antigenic heterogeneity (5, 6), the replication in and destruction of lung alveolar macrophages (7-9), and the observed antibody-dependent enhancement of PRRSV (10, 11). Therefore, it is imperative to study PRRSV pathogenesis mechanisms so that more effective control measures can be developed.Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme of heme degradation, and it functions to catabolize free heme into biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and iron. HO-1 and its end products have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, and it is known to be a pivotal cytoprotective enzyme (12). Upregulation of HO-1 expression suppresses replication of a number of viruses, including hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV-1, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and influenza virus (13-17). Our previous work showed that PRRSV significantly downregulates HO-1

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Viral cycle progression depends upon host-cell processes in infected cells, and this is true for bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), the causative agent of BVD that is a worldwide threat to the bovine industry. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a ubiquitously expressed inducible isoform of the first and rate-limiting enzyme for heme degradation. Recent studies have demonstrated that HO-1 has significant antiviral properties, inhibiting the replication of viruses such as ebola virus, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. However, the function of HO-1 in BVDV infection is unclear. In the present study, the relationship between HO-1 and BVDV was investigated. In vitro analysis of HO-1 expression in BVDV-infected MDBK cells demonstrated that a decrease in HO-1 as BVDV replication increased. Increasing HO-1 expression through adenoviral-mediated overexpression or induction with cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP, a potent HO-1 inducer), pre- and postinfection, effectively inhibited BVDV replication. In contrast, HO-1 siRNA knockdown in BVDV-infected cells increased BVDV replication. Therefore, the data were consistent with HO-1 acting as an anti-viral factor and these findings suggested that induction of HO-1 may be a useful prevention and treatment strategy against BVDV infection.

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) causes significant economic losses to the cattle industry worldwide. Previously, we demonstrated that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) can inhibit BVDV replication via an unknown molecular mechanism. To elucidate the mechanism involved, we assess whether the HO-1 downstream metabolites carbon monoxide (CO), biliverdin (BV) and iron affect BVDV replication. We treated Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells with an exogenous CO donor, CORM-2. We found that CORM-2 but not its inactive form (iCORM-2) inhibited BVDV replication in a dose-dependent and time duration-dependent manner, suggesting a CO-specific mediation of the CORM-2 antiviral effect. Direct incubation of BVDV with high-dose CORM-2 reduced virus titres, suggesting that CORM-2 attenuates BVDV growth by both physically inactivating virus particles in the extracellular environment and affecting intracellular BVDV replication, but mainly via an intracellular mechanism. Exogenous BV treatment, both post-infection and co-incubation with BVDV, inhibited BVDV replication in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that BV has potent antiviral activity against BVDV. Direct incubation of BVDV with BV had no significant effect on virus titres, indicating that BV is not virucidal and attenuates BVDV growth by affecting intracellular BVDV replication. Furthermore, BV was found to affect BVDV penetration but not attachment. However, increased iron via addition of FeCl3 did not interfere with BVDV replication. Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrate that the HO-1 metabolites BV and CO, but not iron, inhibit BVDV replication. These findings not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of HO-1 inhibition of BVDV replication but also suggest potential new control measures for future BVDV infection.