Slicing and dicing viruses: antiviral RNA interference in mammals
Volume
38
Publisher
DOI
10.15252/embj.2018100941
Journal
The EMBO Journal
Issue
ISSN
0261-4189
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
To protect against the harmful consequences of viral infections, organisms are equipped with sophisticated antiviral mechanisms, including cell‐intrinsic means to restrict viral replication and propagation. Plant and invertebrate cells utilise mostly RNA interference (RNA i), an RNA ‐based mechanism, for cell‐intrinsic immunity to viruses while vertebrates rely on the protein‐based interferon (IFN )‐driven innate immune system for the same purpose. The RNA i machinery is conserved in vertebrate cells, yet whether antiviral RNA i is still active in mammals and functionally relevant to mammalian antiviral defence is intensely debated. Here, we discuss cellular and viral factors that impact on antiviral RNA i and the contexts in which this system might be at play in mammalian resistance to viral infection.
Authors
Maillard, PV; Veen, AG; Poirier, EZ; Reis e Sousa, CCollections
- Centre for Immunobiology [1121]