Insights into Virus-Host Interactions: Lessons from Caenorhabditis elegans-Orsay Virus Model

Abstract

The study of virus-host interactions has been significantly advanced using model organisms, with nematodes being a prominent example. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) nematodes have provided valuable insights into the mechanisms of viral infections, host defense strategies, and the development of antiviral therapies. With the discovery of natural viral pathogens of nematodes, Orsay virus, Le Blanc virus, Santeuil virus, and Mělník virus, the exploration of the virus-host interaction model based on nematodes has entered a new era. The virus-host interaction network consists of viruses, hosts, and the antagonistic effects of viruses on host immunity. The nematode virus-host interaction model is a concrete manifestation used to study the complex relationships among these three elements. Previous studies have indicated that during the entire process of nematode infection by viruses, antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) plays a crucial role. Additionally, the host’s innate immune responses, such as the antiviral-specific intracellular pathogen response (IPR) and certain signaling pathways homologous to those in humans, are particularly important in the natural immune and antiviral processes of nematodes. These processes are regulated by multiple genes in the host. The reverse genetics system for Orsay virus has been successfully developed to study viral gene function and virus-host interactions. Nematodes serve as simple host models for understanding RNA virus replication, related cellular components, and virus-host interaction mechanisms. These findings will likely contribute to the development of antiviral treatment strategies based on novel targets.

Keywords

Natural infection / Innate immunity / Virus-host interaction model / Nematode virus / Orsay virus

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Huazhong University of Science and Technology 2025

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Yu-qing Liu, Yiran Liu and all members in the Guo lab for helpful discussion.

Authors’ Contribution All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

Funding This work was supported by National Undergraduate Training Programs for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Ministry of Education, China.

Availability of Data and Materials Data availability is not applicable to this article as no new data were generated or analyzed in this study.

Declarations

Conflict of Interest All authors declare that there are no competing financial interests.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate Not applicable.

Consent for Publication Not applicable.

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