Epigenetic Suppression of Interferon Lambda Receptor Expression Leads to Enhanced Human Norovirus Replication In Vitro

Noroviruses are one of the most widespread causes of gastroenteritis, yet no suitable therapeutics are available for their control. Moreover, to date, knowledge of the precise cellular processes that control the replication of the human norovirus remains ill defined. Recent work has highlighted the importance of type III interferon (IFN) responses in the restriction of viruses that infect the intestine. Here, we analyzed the adaptive changes required to support long-term replication of noroviruses in cell culture and found that the receptor for type III IFN is decreased in its expression. We confirmed that this decreased expression was driven by epigenetic modifications and that cells lacking the type III IFN receptor are more permissive for norovirus replication. This work provides new insights into key host-virus interactions required for the control of noroviruses and opens potential novel avenues for their therapeutic control.