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Although endothelial cell (EC) infection is not widespread during dengue virus (DENV) infection in 2vivo, the endothelium is the site of the pathogenic effects seen in severe DENV disease. In this study 3 we investigated DENV infection of primary EC and defined factors that influence infection in this cell 4
type. 5Consistent with in vivo findings where EC infection is infrequent, only 3-15% of EC became 6 productively DENV-2-infected in vitro. This low level infection could not be attributed to inhibition 7 by heparin, EC donor variation, heterogeneity, or biological source. DENV-infection of EC was 8 associated with induction of innate immune responses, including increased STAT1 protein, STAT1-9 phosphorylation, and IFN-β, OAS-1, IFIT-1/ISG56 and viperin mRNA. Antibody blocking of IFN-β 10 inhibited the induction of OAS1, IFIT1/ISG56 and viperin while shRNA knockdown of viperin 11 enhanced DENV-infection in EC. DENV-infection of EC resulted in increased activity of 12 sphingosine kinase 1, a factor important in maintaining vascular integrity, and altered basal and 13 stimulated changes in barrier integrity of DENV-infected EC monolayers. 14 Thus, DENV productively infects only a small percentage of primary EC but this has a major 15 influence on induction of IFN-β driven innate immune responses that can restrict infection while the 16 EC themselves are functionally altered. These changes may have important consequences for the 17 endothelium and are reflective of pathogenic changes associated with vascular leakage, as seen in 18 DENV disease.