The oxygen levels organ and tissue microenvironments vary depending on the distance of their vasculature from the left ventricle of the heart. For instance, the oxygen levels of lymph nodes and the spleen are significantly lower than that in atmospheric air. Cellular detection of oxygen and their response to low oxygen levels can exert a significant impact on virus infection. Generally, viruses that naturally infect well-oxygenated organs are less able to infect cells under hypoxic conditions. Conversely, viruses that infect organs under lower oxygen tensions thrive under hypoxic conditions. This suggests that in vitro experiments performed exclusively under atmospheric conditions ignores oxygen-induced modifications in both host and viral responses. Here, we review the mechanisms of how cells adapt to low oxygen tensions and its impact on viral infections. With growing evidence supporting the role of oxygen microenvironments in viral infections, this review highlights the importance of factoring oxygen concentrations into in vitro assay conditions. Bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo oxygen tensions would allow for more physiologically representative insights into viral pathogenesis.

中文翻译：

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氧气：病毒友还是敌人？

器官和组织的微环境中的氧气含量取决于其脉管系统距心脏左心室的距离。例如，淋巴结和脾脏的氧气含量明显低于大气中的氧气含量。细胞对氧气的检测及其对低氧水平的响应可对病毒感染产生重大影响。通常，自然感染高氧器官的病毒在低氧条件下感染细胞的能力较弱。相反，在低氧压力下感染器官的病毒会在低氧条件下壮成长。这表明仅在大气条件下进行的体外实验忽略了氧气诱导的宿主和病毒应答的修饰。这里，我们综述了细胞如何适应低氧张力及其对病毒感染的影响的机制。随着越来越多的证据支持氧微环境在病毒感染中的作用，本综述强调了将氧浓度纳入体外测定条件的重要性。弥合体外和体内氧张力之间的鸿沟将允许对病毒发病机理更具生理代表性的见解。