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mTORC2 combats cellular stress and potentiates immunity during viral infection

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes ocular and orofacial infections, which are generally well controlled by the host and nonlethal. In rare cases, HSV-1 causes encephalitis, which leads to permanent brain injuries, memory loss or even death. Host factors protect the organism from viral infections by activating the immune response. However, the factors that confer neuroprotection during viral encephalitis are unknown. Here we show that mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) is essential for the host survival of ocular HSV-1 infections in vivo. We found that the loss of mTORC2 causes systemic HSV-1 infection not only because of weak innate and adaptive immune responses but also due to increased ocular and neuronal cell death, which becomes lethal over time. Furthermore, we found that mTORC2 mediates cell survival channels through the inactivation of the proapoptotic factor FoxO3a. Our results demonstrate how mTORC2 potentiates host defenses against viral infections as well as implicating mTORC2 as a necessary host factor for survival. We anticipate our findings may help develop new therapeutic window for severe HSV-1 infections, such as herpes simplex encephalitis.