Targeting the SREBP-dependent lipidomic reprogramming by virus infection for broad-spectrum therapeutic intervention

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that exploit the host metabolic machineries to meet their extraordinary biosynthetic demands. Integrative transcriptomic and lipidomic profiling confirmed that Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection reprograms the host lipid metabolism. By exploring a bioactive lipid library, we identified a tool compound, AM580 which is highly potent in interrupting the life cycle of diverse viruses including MERS-CoV and influenza A virus. Using click chemistry, the sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) was identified as the primary cellular target of AM580 which accounts for its broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Mechanistic studies pinpoint multiple SREBP proteolytic processes and SREBP-regulated lipid biosynthesis pathways, including the downstream viral protein palmitoylation and double-membrane vesicles formation, that are indispensable for virus replication. Collectively, our study identifies a basic lipogenic transactivation event with broad relevance to human viral infections and represents SREBP as an ideal target for the development of broad-spectrum intervention strategies.