A functional evolutionary genetic approach to combat viral infection

Project Summary Humans are under increasing threat from viruses that spill over from animal reservoirs. Most of these viral diseases lack targeted treatments. We speculate that this unmet medical need might be addressable by first understanding the evolutionary principles underlying antiviral immune responses. A major component of innate immunity in mammals is the interferon response. Interferon induces hundreds of genes, many of which encode effector proteins that suppress viral infection. In mammals, these antiviral effectors are rapidly evolving, most likely in response to the genetic "arms race" continually occurring between virus and host. Further, certain mammalian orders, such as primates, rodents, bats, and carnivores, are particularly rich in viruses that have the potential to spill over into humans. We hypothesize that the genomes of these viral zoonotic reservoirs encode unique antiviral effectors that may be harnessed to combat human viral pathogens. The goals of this project are to identify, characterize, and validate the efficacy of novel antiviral proteins from diverse non-model mammalian species. State-of-the-art genetic screening platforms will be used to discover antiviral genes in primary cell cultures obtained from multiples species in the following mammalian orders: Primate, Rodentia, Chiroptera, and Carnivora. Validated effectors will be characterized mechanistically with a suite of virological, biochemical, molecular, and cell biological approaches. The potential for these effectors to suppress human viruses will be tested in murine models of human viral disease. Outcomes will include the creation of the first comprehensive Mammalian Antiviral Protein Atlas, the discovery of new genetically-encoded antiviral mechanisms, and proof-of- concept that human viral disease can be thwarted by naturally occurring proteins from other species. The impact of this proposal will be the development of a new area of biomedical research at the intersection of virology, immunology, and evolutionary biology. Long term prospects include harnessing the results of these studies to inspire alternative approaches to antiviral drug development.