FHL1 is a key player of chikungunya virus tropism and pathogenesis.

Chikungunya is an infectious disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes, and for which there is no licensed vaccine nor antiviral treatments. By using a loss-of-function genetic screen, we have recently identified the FHL1 protein as an essential host factor for CHIKV tropism and pathogenesis. FHL1 is highly expressed in muscles cells and fibroblasts, the main CHIKV-target cells.

FHL1 is a major host factor for chikungunya virus infection.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging alphavirus that is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites and causes musculoskeletal and joint pain. Despite intensive investigations, the human cellular factors that are critical for CHIKV infection remain unknown, hampering the understanding of viral pathogenesis and the development of anti-CHIKV therapies. Here we identified the four-and-a-half LIM domain protein 1 (FHL1) as a host factor that is required for CHIKV permissiveness and pathogenesis in humans and mice.