There is a functional ubiquitin association UBA domain

There is a functional ubiquitin association (UBA) domain at the N terminus of MCPIP1. Liang et al. have discovered that MCPIP1 may be a deubiquitinase and defined a novel DUB domain of MCPIP1 [22]. Ubiquitin and deubiquitin modification emerge as the key mechanisms that regulate the virus-induced type I IFN signaling pathways [[39], [40], [41], [42]]. Several cellular DUB proteins play important roles in negative regulation of host innate immunity. We previously found that several CoV encoded proteins also negatively regulate IFNβ expression of the host through DUB activity [15,16,21]. Based on these, we hypothesis that MCPIP1 may also inhibits IFNβ innate immune in cells. The results in this study that MCPIP1 inhibits NF-κB activity and IFNβ expression pathway activated by RIG-I, STING, TBK1 and IRF3 in a dose-dependent manner yielded evidence for our hypothesis. Innate immune defense mechanism characterized by production of type I interferons was launched by the host upon infection. This innate antiviral response is initiated when viral PAMPs were detected by the host via a number of cellular PRRs, such as the membrane bound Toll-like receptors (TLRs), retinoic brucine inducible gene I (RIG-I), or melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) [[1], [2], [3]]. These PRRs would recruit different adaptor molecules upon engagement of their respective ligands, submitting signals to downstream kinases that activate IRF3, NF-κB and other transcription factors that coordinately regulate IFNβ transcription [2,7]. IRF3 is a constitutively expressed, latent transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in type I IFN responses. The activation of IRF3 requires specific C-terminal phosphorylation. IRF3 may be activated upon phosphorylation mediated by TBK1 and IKKε, which leads to its homodimerization, nuclear translocation, and collaboration with activated NF-κB to induce IFNβ synthesis [[43], [44], [45]]. IFNβ innate antiviral response may be regulated by the host, as well as the viruses. We have previously reported that PLP and 3CLpro encoded by CoVs negatively regulate IFNβ expression of the host [14,16]. In this study, we observed that MCPIP1 inhibited NF-κB activity and IFNβ expression pathway activated by RIG-I, STING, TBK1 and IRF3 in the host cells. Furthermore, the formation of TRAF3-TBK1-IKKε complex is an essential step in the activation of IRF3 [46]. In this study, we found that when MCPIP1 was co-expressed in the cell, the interaction between TRAF3 and TBK1 was significantly disrupted, suggesting the TRAF3-TBK1-IKKε complex and the submitting signals to downstream kinases were blocked. Upon stimulation with virus, IRF3 migrated towards the nuclear. However, the nuclear translocation of IRF3 induced by viral was inhibited when co-expressed with MCPIP1. Taking our previously foundation together with the report by Liang et al. [21,22], we think that the DUB activation of MCPIP1 plays important role in its negatively regulation of IFN expression pathway, which is similar to A20 [12,[47], [48], [49]].