eIF2α Kinases Involve in the Regulation of VSV Replication Through CHOP in SMMC7721 Cells

Previous studies have shown that eIF2α kinases involved in viral replication through eIF2α phosphorylation upon vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection. The oncotherapy approach of VSV is based on its inducing controlled apoptosis in tumor cells. In this study, we explorated the role of eIF2α kinases in VSV replication and CHOP expression in SMMC7721 cell lines. We found that three eIF2α kinases involved in VSV replication, PERK inhibited viral replication through eIF2α phosphorylation, both PKR and GCN2 initiated CHOP expression to favor viral replication at late stage, and HRI had no effect on VSV replication. These findings confirmed that eIF2α kinases initiate an integrated response and regulate viral replication to restore cellular homeostasis upon viral infection. The activation of CHOP expression may facilitate the release and spread of viral progeny, enrich the characteristics of VSV-induced apoptosis through CHOP expression, and provide a strategy for cancer therapy.