Thesis defense Lonneke Nouwen

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Viruses infect our cells—the tiny factories that make up our bodies. Inside cells, countless processes occur simultaneously to keep them alive and functioning. One important facet of this is metabolism: the network of chemical reactions that provides energy and building blocks for cell growth and maintenance. The cell’s metabolism is often altered when a virus infects a cell. One reason for this is that viruses rely on the metabolism of the host cell to support the production of new virus particles. At the same time, cells can activate certain pathways to fight off the infection—and metabolism can play a defensive role too. However, the metabolism of a cell is complex—similar to a maze of interconnected pathways. So how do viruses find their way through this cellular maze? In this thesis, we explored how infections with picornaviruses (such as enteroviruses) and coronaviruses (such as SARS-CoV-2) affect cellular metabolism. These viruses have different characteristics since they belong to different families, but both cause disease in humans and animals. We found that infections with these viruses lead to changes in several metabolic pathways, including the breakdown of glucose as well as the production and degradation of nucleotides (the base units of DNA and RNA). We also provide evidence that specific viral proteins may be involved in driving these changes. By better understanding how viruses affect the metabolism of their host cells, we gained new insights into virus-host interactions. This knowledge may ultimately assist in developing new therapies against viral infections.