ABSTRACT
Objective To identify the changes in the proteome of U937 cells infected with dengue virus (DENV). Methods In this study, differentiated U937 cultures were infected with two DENV-2 strains, one of which was associated with dengue (DENV-2/NG) and the other one with severe dengue (DENV-2/16681), with the aim of determining the cellular proteomic profiles under different infection conditions. Cellular proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis, and those proteins with differential expression profiles were identified by mass spectrometry. The obtained results were correlated with cellular viability, the number of infectious viral particles, and the viral DNA/protein quantity. Results In comparison with non-infected cultures, in the cells infected with the DENV-2/NG strain, nine proteins were expressed differentially (five were upregulated and four were downregulated); in those cultures infected with the DENV-2/16681 strain, six proteins were differentially expressed (two were downregulated and four were upregulated). The downregulated proteins included fatty acid-binding protein, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein 1, protein disulfide isomerase, enolase 1, heat shock 70 kDa protein 9, phosphotyrosyl phosphatase, and annexin IV. The upregulated proteins included heat shock 90 kDa protein AA1, tubulin beta, enolase 1, pyruvate kinase, transaldolase and phospholipase C-alpha. Conclusions Because the monocyte/macrophage lineage is critical for disease pathogenicity, additional studies on these proteins could provide a better understanding of the cellular response to DENV infection and could help identify new therapeutic targets against infection.