Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway

Yang, Yuxin; Li, Xinmiao; Shi, Haitao; Yu, Jiaying; Gao, Chen; Liu, Yuanhong; Feng, Wenjun; Peng, Luyuan; Fu, Bendong; Yi, Pengfei

doi:10.3390/v17121637

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Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway

by

Yuxin Yang

^1,†,

Xinmiao Li

^1,†,

Haitao Shi

¹,

Jiaying Yu

¹,

Chen Gao

^1,2,

Yuanhong Liu

¹,

Wenjun Feng

¹,

Luyuan Peng

¹,

Bendong Fu

¹ and

Pengfei Yi

^1,*

¹

College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China

²

Experiment Management Center, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Viruses 2025, 17(12), 1637; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17121637

Submission received: 9 November 2025 / Revised: 4 December 2025 / Accepted: 16 December 2025 / Published: 17 December 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Animal Viruses)

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Abstract

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), caused by the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), is a highly contagious viral disease responsible for significant economic losses in the global swine industry. Quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid known for its antiviral properties, was investigated in this study for its ability to inhibit PRRSV replication by modulating autophagy. Our study demonstrates that quercetin can inhibit PRRSV replication in MARC-45 cells by regulating the degradation of autophagosomes and suppressing the generation of autophagosome. We further suggest that quercetin inhibits PRRSV-induced autophagy via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, suppressing autophagosome formation while promoting autophagosome-lysosome fusion, ultimately leading to reduced PRRSV replication. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that quercetin inhibits PRRSV replication by regulating autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Keywords: PRRSV; quercetin; autophagy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Yang, Y.; Li, X.; Shi, H.; Yu, J.; Gao, C.; Liu, Y.; Feng, W.; Peng, L.; Fu, B.; Yi, P. Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway. Viruses 2025, 17, 1637. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17121637

AMA Style

Yang Y, Li X, Shi H, Yu J, Gao C, Liu Y, Feng W, Peng L, Fu B, Yi P. Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway. Viruses. 2025; 17(12):1637. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17121637

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yang, Yuxin, Xinmiao Li, Haitao Shi, Jiaying Yu, Chen Gao, Yuanhong Liu, Wenjun Feng, Luyuan Peng, Bendong Fu, and Pengfei Yi. 2025. "Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway" Viruses 17, no. 12: 1637. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17121637

APA Style

Yang, Y., Li, X., Shi, H., Yu, J., Gao, C., Liu, Y., Feng, W., Peng, L., Fu, B., & Yi, P. (2025). Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway. Viruses, 17(12), 1637. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17121637

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Quercetin Regulates Autophagy to Inhibit PRRSV Replication Through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway

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