Ribose 2′-O-methylation provides a molecular signature for the distinction of self and non-self mRNA dependent on the RNA sensor Mda5

Zust, R., Cervantes-Barragan, L., Habjan, M., Maier, R., Neuman, B. W., Ziebuhr, J., Szretter, K. J., Baker, S. C., Barchet, W., Diamond, M. S., Siddell, S. G., Ludewig, B. and Thiel, V. (2011) Ribose 2′-O-methylation provides a molecular signature for the distinction of self and non-self mRNA dependent on the RNA sensor Mda5. Nature Immunology, 12. pp. 137-143. ISSN 1529-2916 doi: 10.1038/ni.1979

Abstract/Summary

The 5'-cap-structures of higher eukaryote mRNAs are ribose 2'-O-methylated. Likewise, a number of viruses replicating in the cytoplasm of eukayotes have evolved 2'-O-methyltransferases to modify autonomously their mRNAs. However, a defined biological role of mRNA 2'-O-methylation remains elusive. Here we show that viral mRNA 2'-O-methylation is critically involved in subversion of type-I-interferon (IFN-I) induction. We demonstrate that human and murine coronavirus 2'-O-methyltransferase mutants induce increased IFN-I expression, and are highly IFN-I sensitive. Importantly, IFN-I induction by 2'-O-methyltransferase-deficient viruses is dependent on the cytoplasmic RNA sensor melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5). This link between MDA5-mediated sensing of viral RNA and mRNA 2'-O-methylation suggests that RNA modifications, such as 2'-O-methylation, provide a molecular signature for the discrimination of self and non-self mRNA.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/17078
Identification Number/DOI	10.1038/ni.1979
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Biomedical Sciences
Publisher	Nature Publishing Group
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