Upregulation of CHOP/GADD153 during coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus infection modulates apoptosis by restricting activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway.

Induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR) is an adaptive cellular response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress that allows a cell to reestablish ER homeostasis. However, under severe and persistent ER stress, prolonged UPR may activate unique pathways that lead to cell death. In this study, we investigated the activation of the protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) pathway of UPR in cells infected with the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and its relationship with IBV-induced apoptosis. The results showed moderate induction of PERK phosphorylation in IBV-infected cells. Meanwhile, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) was upregulated at the protein level in the infected cells, resulting in the induction in trans of the transcription factor ATF3 and the proapoptotic growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein GADD153. Knockdown of PERK by small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed the activation of GADD153 and the IBV-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, knockdown of protein kinase R (PKR) by siRNA and inhibition of the PKR kinase activity by 2-aminopurine (2-AP) also reduced the IBV-induced upregulation of GADD153 and apoptosis induction. In GADD153-knockdown cells, IBV-induced apoptosis was suppressed and virus replication inhibited, revealing a key role of GADD153 in IBV-induced cell death and virus replication. Analysis of the pathways downstream of GADD153 revealed much more activation of the extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway in GADD153-knockdown cells during IBV infection, indicating that GADD153 may modulate apoptosis through suppression of the pathway. This study provides solid evidence that induction of GADD153 by PERK and PKR plays an important regulatory role in the apoptotic process triggered by IBV infection.