» Articles » PMID: 34586876

Viruses and Metabolism: The Effects of Viral Infections and Viral Insulins on Host Metabolism

Overview
Journal Annu Rev Virol
Publisher Annual Reviews
Specialty Microbiology
Date 2021 Sep 29
PMID 34586876
Citations 43
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Over the past decades, there have been tremendous efforts to understand the cross-talk between viruses and host metabolism. Several studies have elucidated the mechanisms through which viral infections manipulate metabolic pathways including glucose, fatty acid, protein, and nucleotide metabolism. These pathways are evolutionarily conserved across the tree of life and extremely important for the host's nutrient utilization and energy production. In this review, we focus on host glucose, glutamine, and fatty acid metabolism and highlight the pathways manipulated by the different classes of viruses to increase their replication. We also explore a new system of viral hormones in which viruses mimic host hormones to manipulate the host endocrine system. We discuss viral insulin/IGF-1-like peptides and their potential effects on host metabolism. Together, these pathogenesis mechanisms targeting cellular signaling pathways create a multidimensional network of interactions between host and viral proteins. Defining and better understanding these mechanisms will help us to develop new therapeutic tools to prevent and treat viral infections.

Citing Articles

Obesity drives dysregulation in DC responses to viral infection.

Woodcock A, Bergin R, Kedia-Mehta N, Foley C, Stephens J, OShea D Discov Immunol. 2025; 4(1):kyaf001.

PMID: 40065806 PMC: 11892430. DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyaf001.


Feline Calicivirus Infection Manipulates Central Carbon Metabolism.

Zhao G, Zhu H, Xue X, Zhao C, Yu X, Jiang L Vet Sci. 2025; 12(2).

PMID: 40005898 PMC: 11860418. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12020138.


Traditional Chinese Medicine for Viral Pneumonia Therapy: Pharmacological Basis and Mechanistic Insights.

Bai Y, Liu T, Zhang S, Shi Y, Yang Y, Ding M Int J Biol Sci. 2025; 21(3):989-1013.

PMID: 39897040 PMC: 11781171. DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.105086.


Mpox-Induced Metabolic Alterations.

Zandi M, Mousavi F, Hashemnia S J Cell Mol Med. 2025; 29(1):e70341.

PMID: 39779460 PMC: 11710930. DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.70341.


Infection-induced lysine lactylation enables herpesvirus immune evasion.

Tyl M, Merengwa V, Cristea I Sci Adv. 2025; 11(2):eads6215.

PMID: 39772686 PMC: 11708889. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads6215.


References
1.
Ahlers L, Bastos R, Hiroyasu A, Goodman A . Invertebrate Iridescent Virus 6, a DNA Virus, Stimulates a Mammalian Innate Immune Response through RIG-I-Like Receptors. PLoS One. 2016; 11(11):e0166088. PMC: 5100955. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166088. View

2.
Hou W, Cruz-Cosme R, Armstrong N, Obwolo L, Wen F, Hu W . Molecular cloning and characterization of the genes encoding the proteins of Zika virus. Gene. 2017; 628:117-128. PMC: 5729740. DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.07.049. View

3.
Navale A, Paranjape A . Glucose transporters: physiological and pathological roles. Biophys Rev. 2017; 8(1):5-9. PMC: 5425736. DOI: 10.1007/s12551-015-0186-2. View

4.
Passalacqua K, Lu J, Goodfellow I, Kolawole A, Arche J, Maddox R . Glycolysis Is an Intrinsic Factor for Optimal Replication of a Norovirus. mBio. 2019; 10(2). PMC: 6414699. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.02175-18. View

5.
Yu Y, Maguire T, Alwine J . Human cytomegalovirus infection induces adipocyte-like lipogenesis through activation of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1. J Virol. 2012; 86(6):2942-9. PMC: 3302344. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.06467-11. View