Review
Version 1
This version is not peer-reviewed
Mechanisms of Mammalian RNA Interference-Based Antiviral Strategies
Version 1
: Received: 30 July 2024 / Approved: 31 July 2024 / Online: 1 August 2024 (05:17:09 CEST)
How to cite: Datta, N. Mechanisms of Mammalian RNA Interference-Based Antiviral Strategies. Preprints 2024, 2024072535. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2535.v1 Datta, N. Mechanisms of Mammalian RNA Interference-Based Antiviral Strategies. Preprints 2024, 2024072535. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.2535.v1
Abstract
Mammalian species possess sophisticated innate immune mechanisms that collectively combat a wide array of viral pathogens. Among these, the well-characterized interferon (IFN) response has been extensively researched; however, the role of antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) in mammals is emerging as an area of significant interest. Previous research has noted that Dicer, an enzyme crucial for processing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), exhibits reduced activity in vitro, and that the IFN response may overshadow or inhibit the antiviral functions of RNAi in mammalian cells. Consequently, the functional relevance of RNAi in antiviral defense within mammalian somatic cells remains an open question. The evolution of antiviral systems in human populations reflects their substantial advantages, paralleling the evolutionary pressure on genomes encoding such defense mechanisms. While the well-studied protein-guided immune responses in mammals are essential for survival in viral environments, small RNA-mediated antiviral systems, which utilize complementary base pairing to silence non self-genetic material, also play a crucial role. In mammals, evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate genes integral to antiviral responses, and emerging data indicate that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and transfer RNAs (tRNAs) can directly target virus-derived nucleic acids. This review aims to highlight some of the recent progress in understanding mammalian antiviral RNAi mechanisms.
Keywords
RNAi; antiviral response; interferon response; immunity
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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