The type I interferon (IFN) response protects cells from viral infection by inducing hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), some of which encode direct antiviral effectors1–3. Recent screening studies have begun to catalogue ISGs with antiviral activity against several RNA and DNA viruses4–13. However, antiviral ISG specificity across multiple distinct classes of viruses remains largely unexplored. Here we used an ectopic expression assay to screen a library of more than 350 human ISGs for effects on 14 viruses representing 7 families and 11 genera. We show that 47 genes inhibit one or more viruses, and 25 genes enhance virus infectivity. Comparative analysis reveals that the screened ISGs target positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses more effectively than negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Gene clustering highlights the cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS, also known as MB21D1) as a gene whose expression also broadly inhibits several RNA viruses. In vitro, lentiviral delivery of enzymatically active cGAS triggers a STING-dependent, IRF3-mediated antiviral program that functions independently of canonical IFN/STAT1 signalling. In vivo, genetic ablation of murine cGAS reveals its requirement in the antiviral response to two DNA viruses, and an unappreciated contribution to the innate control of an RNA virus. These studies uncover new paradigms for the preferential specificity of IFN-mediated antiviral pathways spanning several virus families.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an architecturally diverse organelle that serves as a membrane source for the replication of multiple viruses. Flaviviruses, including yellow fever virus, West Nile virus, dengue virus and Zika virus, induce unique single-membrane ER invaginations that house the viral replication machinery. Whether this virus-induced ER remodelling is vulnerable to antiviral pathways is unknown. Here, we show that flavivirus replication at the ER is targeted by the interferon (IFN) response. Through genome-scale CRISPR screening, we uncovered an antiviral mechanism mediated by a functional gene pairing between IFI6 (encoding IFN-α-inducible protein 6), an IFN-stimulated gene cloned over 30 years ago, and HSPA5, which encodes the ER-resident heat shock protein 70 chaperone BiP. We reveal that IFI6 is an ER-localized integral membrane effector that is stabilized through interactions with BiP. Mechanistically, IFI6 prophylactically protects uninfected cells by preventing the formation of virus-induced ER membrane invaginations. Notably, IFI6 has little effect on other mammalian RNA viruses, including the related Flaviviridae family member hepatitis C virus, which replicates in double-membrane vesicles that protrude outwards from the ER. These findings support a model in which the IFN response is armed with a membrane-targeted effector that discriminately blocks the establishment of virus-specific ER microenvironments that are required for replication.

Febrile seizures represent a recognized serious adverse event following measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination. We conducted a series of genome-wide association scans comparing children with MMR-related febrile seizures, children with febrile seizures unrelated to vaccination, and controls with no history of febrile seizures. Two loci were distinctly associated with MMR-related febrile seizures, harboring the interferon-stimulated gene IFI44L (rs273259; P = 5.9×10−12 vs. controls; P =1.2×10−9 vs. MMR-unrelated febrile seizures) and the measles virus receptor CD46 (rs1318653; P = 9.6×10−11 vs. controls; P = 1.6×10−9 vs. MMR-unrelated febrile seizures). Furthermore, four loci were associated with febrile seizures in general implicating the sodium channel genes SCN1A (rs6432860; P = 2.2×10−16) and SCN2A (rs3769955; P = 3.1×10−10), a TMEM16 family gene (TMEM16C; rs114444506; P = 3.7×10−20), and a region associated with magnesium levels (12q21.33; rs11105468; P = 3.4×10−11). Finally, functional relevance of TMEM16C was demonstrated with electrophysiological experiments in wild-type and knockout rats.

SUMMARYThe recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Western hemisphere is associated with severe pathology in newborns, including microcephaly and brain damage. The mechanisms underlying these outcomes are under intense investigation. Here, we show that a 2015 ZIKV isolate replicates in multiple cell types, including primary human fetal neural progenitors (hNPs). In immortalized cells, ZIKV is cytopathic and grossly rearranges endoplasmic reticulum membranes similar to other flaviviruses. In hNPs, ZIKV infection has a partial cytopathic phase characterized by cell rounding, pyknosis, and activation of caspase 3. Despite notable cell death, ZIKV did not activate a cytokine response in hNPs. This lack of cell intrinsic immunity to ZIKV is consistent with our observation that virus replication persists in hNPs for at least 28 days. These findings, supported by published fetal neuropathology, establish a proof-of-concept that neural progenitors in the developing human fetus can be direct targets of detrimental ZIKV-induced pathology.

The SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome contains a 5′-cap that facilitates translation of viral proteins, protection from exonucleases and evasion of the host immune response [1][2][3][4] . How this cap is made is not completely understood. Here, we reconstitute the SARS-CoV-2 7Me GpppA2′-O-Me-RNA cap using virally encoded non-structural proteins (nsps). We show that the kinase-like NiRAN domain 5 of nsp12 transfers RNA to the amino terminus of nsp9, forming a covalent RNA-protein intermediate (a process termed RNAylation). Subsequently, the NiRAN domain transfers RNA to GDP, forming the cap core structure GpppA-RNA. The nsp14 6 and nsp16 7 methyltransferases then add methyl groups to form functional cap structures. Structural analyses of the replicationtranscription complex bound to nsp9 identified key interactions that mediate the capping reaction. Furthermore, we demonstrate in a reverse genetics system 8 that the N-terminus of nsp9 and the kinase-like active site residues in the NiRAN domain are required for successful SARS-CoV-2 replication. Collectively, our results reveal an unconventional mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 caps its RNA genome, thus exposing a new target in the development of antivirals to treat COVID-19. 3 Main TextCoronaviruses (CoVs) are a family of positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause disease in humans, ranging from mild common colds to more severe respiratory infections 9 . The most topical of these is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which to date has resulted in over 5.7million deaths and almost 400-million cases globally 10 .The SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome contains two open reading frames (ORF1a and ORF1ab), which are translated by host ribosomes to form two large polyproteins 2 . These polyproteins are subsequently cleaved by viral proteases to form 16 non-structural proteins (nsp1-16), some of which make up the Replication-Transcription Complex (RTC) 2 . At the core of the RTC is the nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is the target of several promising antivirals used to treat COVID-19 including remdesivir 11 and molnupiravir 12 . In addition to the RdRp domain, nsp12 contains an N-terminal Nidovirus RdRp-Associated Nucleotidyltransferase (NiRAN) domain (Fig. 1a) 5 . The NiRAN domain shares sequence and structural similarity with the pseudokinase selenoprotein-O (SelO), which transfers AMP from ATP to protein substrates (a process termed AMPylation) [13][14][15] . Notably, the active site kinase-like residues of the NiRAN domain are highly conserved in Nidovirales (Extended Data Fig. 1) and are required for equine arteritis virus (EAV) and SARS-CoV-1 replication in cell culture 5 . Several hypotheses for the function of the NiRAN domain have been proposed, including roles in protein-primed RNA synthesis, RNA ligation, and mRNA capping 5,16 .The CoV RNA genome, like eukaryotic mRNAs, contains a methylated guanosine linked to the first nucleotide of the RNA via a reverse 5′ to 5′ triphosphat...