# Cell death modulation dictates tissue-specific tropism of lumpy skin disease virus

## TL;DR

This study reveals how lumpy skin disease virus causes different types of cell death in different tissues, helping it adapt and spread in cattle.

## Contribution

The study is the first to uncover LSDV's tissue-specific use of distinct cell death pathways for host adaptation.

## Key findings

- In kidney tissue, LSDV triggers apoptosis via ORF117-GAPDH interaction and the GAPDH-Siah1/p53 pathway.
- In mammary tissue, LSDV induces pyroptosis through Gasdermin C cleavage and inflammatory cytokine release.
- The virus uses immunologically silent cell death in kidneys and inflammatory responses in mammary tissue.

## Abstract

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is a critical transboundary pathogen that causes devastating infections in cattle, buffalo, and other ruminants. The virus induces characteristic clinical manifestations, including cutaneous nodules, marked reduction in milk yield, and impaired production performance, leading to severe economic losses in the global livestock sector. Although LSDV exhibits remarkable multi-tissue tropism and persistent viral shedding in various organs, posing significant challenges for disease control, the molecular mechanisms underlying its tissue-specific adaptation remain poorly understood. Here, we established both bovine cell models and golden hamster models to elucidate the tissue-specific pathogenic mechanisms of LSDV, and further validated these findings in bovine kidney and mammary tissue samples to demonstrate their relevance in natural hosts. Our findings revealed that LSDV employs distinct cell death pathways in different tissues to facilitate host adaptation. In kidney tissue, the viral envelope protein ORF117 specifically interacts with host GAPDH, triggering its nuclear translocation and subsequent activation of the GAPDH-Siah1/p53 signaling cascade, culminating in Caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. Conversely, in mammary tissue, LSDV induces Caspase-8-dependent cleavage of Gasdermin C, promoting pyroptosis in mammary epithelial cells and substantial release of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. This study provides the first mechanistic insight into the molecular basis of LSDV’s tissue-specific activation of distinct cell death pathways, establishing a theoretical framework for developing targeted therapeutic interventions against lumpy skin disease.

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a significant pathogen of cattle, causes severe economic losses in livestock industries worldwide. Although LSDV exhibits broad tissue tropism, the molecular mechanisms underlying its tissue-specific adaptation remain elusive. Our study revealed that LSDV orchestrates distinct cell death pathways in different tissues. Using both in vitro cell culture systems and in vivo hamster models, we demonstrated that LSDV triggers tissue-specific cell death mechanisms, and further validated these findings in bovine kidney and mammary tissue samples, confirming their relevance in natural hosts. In kidney cells, the viral protein ORF117 induces apoptosis through interaction with host GAPDH, promoting its nuclear translocation and subsequent activation of death signaling pathways. Conversely, in mammary tissue, LSDV activates pyroptosis via Gasdermin C-mediated membrane permeabilization, leading to inflammatory cytokine release. These findings uncovered a sophisticated viral strategy where LSDV employs immunologically silent cell death in kidney tissue while promoting inflammatory responses in mammary tissue. This newly discovered tissue-specific adaptation mechanism provides potential therapeutic targets for controlling this economically important livestock disease.