Scientists at McGill University and the Research Center for Molecular Medicine (CeMM) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences report the discovery of the molecular blueprint behind the IFIT protein. This protein allows the human immune system to detect viruses and prevent infection by acting as foot soldiers guarding the body against infection. They recognize foreign viral RNA produced by the virus and act as defender molecules by potentially latching onto the genome of the virus and preventing it from making copies of itself, blocking infection.

The researchers say the findings are a promising step towards developing new drugs for combatting a wide range of immune system disorders.

The discovery was made by teams led by Bhushan Nagar, Ph.D., a professor in the department of biochemistry at McGill’s Faculty of Medicine, and Giulio Superti-Furga, Ph.D., at the CeMM. Building on the 2011 CeMM discovery by Andreas Pichlmair, Ph.D., that IFIT proteins unexpectedly interact directly with the viral RNA to inhibit its replication, the group’s latest discovery reveals the molecular mechanism behind how IFIT proteins capture only the viral RNA and distinguishes it from normal molecules belonging to the host. Their research was published in Nature.

“Infection by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria are caught by a layer of the immune system that consists of guard-like proteins constantly on the lookout for foreign molecules derived from the pathogen,” explains Dr. Nagar. “Once the pathogen is detected, a rapid response by the host cell is elicited, which includes the production of an array of defender molecules that work together to block and remove the infection. The IFIT proteins are key members of these defender molecules.”

In the Nagar lab, McGill graduate student Yazan Abbas used a variety of biophysical techniques, including X-ray crystallography, to capture the IFIT protein directly in the act of recognizing the foreign RNA. The work shed light on the interaction between IFITs and RNAs. The researchers determined that IFIT proteins have evolved a specific binding pocket, chemically compatible and big enough to fit only the triphoshorylated end of the viral RNA. Human RNA is not able to tightly interact with this pocket, thereby circumventing autoimmune reactions.

“Once the IFIT protein clamps down on the viral RNA, the RNA is then presumably prevented from being used by the virus for its own replication,” says Dr. Superti-Furga, “Since many viruses, such as influenza and rabies, rely on triphosphate RNA for their lifecycle, these results have widespread implications in understanding how our cells interact with viruses and combat them.”

This work could help advance the development of new drugs for combating a wide array of immune system disorders, according to the research team. “Our findings will be useful for the development of novel drugs directed at IFIT proteins, particularly in cases where it is necessary to dampen the immune response, such as inflammation or cancer therapy,” says Dr. Nagar.

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