Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity

One of the first layers of protection that metazoans put in place to defend themselves against viruses rely on the use of proteins containing DExD/H-box helicase domains. These members of the duplex RNA–activated ATPase (DRA) family act as sensors of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, a universa...

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Main Authors: Morgane Baldaccini, Sébastien Pfeffer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-12-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8659333/?tool=EBI
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author Morgane Baldaccini
Sébastien Pfeffer
author_facet Morgane Baldaccini
Sébastien Pfeffer
author_sort Morgane Baldaccini
collection DOAJ
description One of the first layers of protection that metazoans put in place to defend themselves against viruses rely on the use of proteins containing DExD/H-box helicase domains. These members of the duplex RNA–activated ATPase (DRA) family act as sensors of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, a universal marker of viral infections. DRAs can be classified into 2 subgroups based on their mode of action: They can either act directly on the dsRNA, or they can trigger a signaling cascade. In the first group, the type III ribonuclease Dicer plays a key role to activate the antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) pathway by cleaving the viral dsRNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). This represents the main innate antiviral immune mechanism in arthropods and nematodes. Even though Dicer is present and functional in mammals, the second group of DRAs, containing the RIG-I-like RNA helicases, appears to have functionally replaced RNAi and activate type I interferon (IFN) response upon dsRNA sensing. However, recent findings tend to blur the frontier between these 2 mechanisms, thereby highlighting the crucial and diverse roles played by RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity. Here, we will review our current knowledge of the importance of these key proteins in viral infection, with a special focus on the interplay between the 2 main types of response that are activated by dsRNA.
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spelling doaj.art-9baa858d19794e0a8d82ec04154c0ac52022-12-21T18:11:03ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742021-12-011712Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunityMorgane BaldacciniSébastien PfefferOne of the first layers of protection that metazoans put in place to defend themselves against viruses rely on the use of proteins containing DExD/H-box helicase domains. These members of the duplex RNA–activated ATPase (DRA) family act as sensors of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, a universal marker of viral infections. DRAs can be classified into 2 subgroups based on their mode of action: They can either act directly on the dsRNA, or they can trigger a signaling cascade. In the first group, the type III ribonuclease Dicer plays a key role to activate the antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) pathway by cleaving the viral dsRNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). This represents the main innate antiviral immune mechanism in arthropods and nematodes. Even though Dicer is present and functional in mammals, the second group of DRAs, containing the RIG-I-like RNA helicases, appears to have functionally replaced RNAi and activate type I interferon (IFN) response upon dsRNA sensing. However, recent findings tend to blur the frontier between these 2 mechanisms, thereby highlighting the crucial and diverse roles played by RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity. Here, we will review our current knowledge of the importance of these key proteins in viral infection, with a special focus on the interplay between the 2 main types of response that are activated by dsRNA.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8659333/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Morgane Baldaccini
Sébastien Pfeffer
Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity
PLoS Pathogens
title Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity
title_full Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity
title_fullStr Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity
title_full_unstemmed Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity
title_short Untangling the roles of RNA helicases in antiviral innate immunity
title_sort untangling the roles of rna helicases in antiviral innate immunity
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8659333/?tool=EBI
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AT sebastienpfeffer untanglingtherolesofrnahelicasesinantiviralinnateimmunity