Giardiavirus infection mediates Enolase to the upregulation of Glycolysis in Giardia

Giardia duodenalis is a prevalent intestinal parasite that cause giardiasis, a condition characterized by diarrhea and frequently linked to malnutrition and growth impairments in children. The presence of Giardiavirus (GLV) can lead to reduced pathological damage in mice infected with Giardia and different pro-inflammatory responses in host cells stimulated by Giardia. As is well known, viruses as “non-cellular organisms” that control host proteins, metabolic resources to complete replication and transmission. However, the understanding of the impact of the Giardiavirus on the G. duodenalis itself is currently limited. Here, we found that GLV infection can reduce the mRNA and expression levels of Giardia genes, but lead to upregulation of translation efficiency in Giardia genes. Additionally, GLV infection causes Giardia's energy metabolic reprogramming, 21 significantly different energy metabolites were identified, and the most significant pathway by KEGG enrichment was Glycolysis/ Gluconeogenesis. After the viral load of GLV stabilizes, glycolysis is significantly upregulated with increasing GLV infection generations. The glycolytic enzyme enolase in Giardia is closely associated with the viral load of GLV. and it was found that knocking down the expression level of enolase also led to a decrease in the viral load of GLV. Overall, these results highlight that GLV infection can regulate the protein and energy metabolism of G. duodenalis for its own survival, and discover the potential of GLV as a novel intervention strategy for the development of drugs and vaccines for the prevention and treatment of giardiasis.