In-depth study of antiviral RNA silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans

项目总结 抗病毒RNA沉默(AVRS)，也称为抗病毒RNA干扰(RNAi)，其作用是 真菌、植物和无脊椎动物体内主要的天然抗病毒机制。最近的观察表明 AVRS在未分化的小鼠细胞中也很活跃，似乎是小鼠发育所必需的 婴儿与致命的病毒病原体作斗争。AVRS中的病毒销毁以小干扰为导向 由病毒双链RNA(DsRNAs)衍生的RNA，通常是复制的中间产物。 因此，在病毒复制期间在病毒基因组中积累的基因突变 不要对AVRS产生抵触。因此，AVRS的机理研究具有广阔的发展前景。 治疗由病毒感染引起的人类疾病的新策略。 在哺乳动物中，干扰素介导的抗病毒免疫是主要的天然免疫。 病毒感染。这种抗病毒免疫通常是在检测到入侵的病毒RNA时触发的 三种密切相关的RNA解旋酶被称为RIG-I-like RNA解旋酶(RLHs)。在这三个中 RLHs、RIG-I和MDA5检测病毒产生的双链RNA(DsRNAs)的序列- 因此，它们对病毒基因组内的基因变化也具有抵抗力。因此， 来自rlh介导的病毒检测的研究结果也有望促进这一发展。 新的抗病毒疗法。越来越多的证据表明，RIG-I在 调节哺乳动物的发育。目前，RIG-I如何监管仍是一个悬而未决的问题 哺乳动物的发育 病毒自然感染并触发秀丽线虫的AVR，使线虫成为理想的 AVRS研究的模式生物。与其他模式生物相比，线虫到目前为止 在模式物种方面，大多数基因被认为是AVRS的关键组成部分。因为它的寿命很短 跨度和遗传可控性，线虫还可以快速识别新的AVRS基因 对AVRS进行了深入研究。更重要的是，越来越多的证据表明，蠕虫RLHs 通过充当病毒传感器，对AVRS和蠕虫的发展做出贡献。因此，线虫作为一种 模型系统将很好地帮助我们解决RLH的病毒检测功能如何 以及RLHs如何促进发展的调节。 本申请旨在研究(1)候选人的基因和功能特征 从随机遗传筛选中分离的AVRS基因；(2)蠕虫AVRS启动的机理研究； (3)蠕虫AVRS破坏病毒转录本的机理研究。建议的调查结果 预计研究不仅将提高我们对蠕虫AVRS的了解，还将促进我们的 RIG-I对RLH病毒检测功能的调控及发育调控的研究 在哺乳动物身上。

PROJECT SUMMARY Antiviral RNA silencing (AvRS), also referred to as antiviral RNA interference (RNAi), acts as a major antiviral innate mechanism in fungi, plants, and invertebrates. Recent observations suggest that AvRS is also active in undifferentiated mouse cells and appears to be essential for developing mouse babies to fight against lethal viral pathogen. Virus destruction in AvRS is guided by small interfering RNAs derived from viral double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), usually the replication intermediates. Therefore, genetic mutations that accumulate in the viral genome during the term of virus replication do not confer resistance to AvRS. Hence, mechanistic study of AvRS holds promise for developing novel strategies for the treatment of viral infection caused human diseases. In mammals, interferon mediated antiviral immunity represents a major innate immunity against viral infection. This antiviral immunity is often triggered upon the detection of invading viral RNAs by three closely related RNA helicases termed RIG-I-like RNA helicases (RLHs). Among these three RLHs, RIG-I and MDA5 detect virus-produced double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) in a sequence- independent manner and, thus, are also resistant to genetic changes within the viral genome. Thus, findings from the study of RLH mediated virus detection is also expected to facilitate the development of novel antiviral therapies. Increasing evidence suggests that RIG-I also plays essential role in regulating mammal development. Currently, it remains to be an open question how RIG-I regulates development in mammals Viruses naturally infect and trigger AvRS in Caenorhabditis elegans, making C. elegans an ideal model organism for the study of AvRS. Compared to other model organism, C. elegans has so far the most, in terms of type species, genes identified as key components of AvRS. Because of its short life span and genetic tractability, C. elegans also allows for rapid identification of novel AvRS genes for in-depth study of AvRS. More importantly, accumulating evidence suggests that worm RLHs contribute to both AvRS, by acting as a virus sensor, and worm development. Thus, C. elegans as a model system would serve us well in addressing the question how the virus detection function of RLHs is regulated and how RLHs contribute to the regulation of development. This application seeks to work on (1) genetic and functional characterization of the candidate AvRS genes isolated from a random genetic screen; (2) mechanistic study of worm AvRS initiation; (3) mechanistic study of viral transcript destruction by worm AvRS. Findings from the proposed research are expected to not only improve our understanding of worm AvRS but also facilitate our study on the regulation of RLH function in virus detection and the regulation of development by RIG-I in mammals.