遗传 ›› 2025, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (8): 876-884.doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.25-077

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基于RNAi的抗病毒免疫

徐德钰1,2(), 周溪1,2(), 任玉洁2()   

  1. 1.中国科学技术大学生命科学与医学部,合肥 230027
    2.中国科学院武汉病毒研究所,高致病性病毒与生物安全全国重点实验室,武汉 430072
  • 收稿日期:2025-03-18 修回日期:2025-06-24 出版日期:2025-08-20 发布日期:2025-07-04
  • 通讯作者: 周溪,博士,研究员,研究方向:病毒与宿主互作机制研究。E-mail: zhouxi@wh.iov.cn;
    任玉洁,博士,研究员,研究方向:病毒与宿主互作机制研究。E-mail: renyujie@wh.iov.cn
  • 作者简介:徐德钰,硕士研究生,专业方向:病毒免疫学。E-mail: xudeyu@mail.ustc.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金项目(82472274)

RNAi-based antiviral immunity

Deyu Xu1,2(), Xi Zhou1,2(), Yujie Ren2()   

  1. 1. School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei 230027, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Wuhan 430072, China
  • Received:2025-03-18 Revised:2025-06-24 Published:2025-08-20 Online:2025-07-04
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(82472274)

摘要:

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是一种由双链RNA (double-stranded RNA,dsRNA)产生的小RNA介导的基因沉默机制,能够引发特定基因的沉默。当病毒入侵后,病毒复制产生的dsRNA会被宿主细胞内的Dicer蛋白切割,产生病毒来源的小干扰RNA (virus-derived small interference RNAs,vsiRNA),并通过RNAi对病毒RNA进行切割清除,产生抗病毒作用。因此,RNAi在病毒感染过程中也被认为是一种高效的抗病毒免疫途径。然而,病毒在长期的进化过程中也产生了多种拮抗RNAi的途径,如通过编码特定的RNAi抑制蛋白(viral suppressor of RNAi,VSR)靶向拮抗该过程中的关键分子。研究表明,利用特异性靶向VSR来设计药物,可以在宿主细胞内“解锁”RNAi抗病毒功能,表现出极具潜力且相对广谱的抗病毒作用。此外,病毒感染也会受到一些宿主或病毒来源的微小RNA (miRNA)的调控,miRNA在病毒感染中的作用也为抗病毒治疗提供了新的靶点。本文综述了RNAi在抗病毒免疫中的作用机制、研究进展及其在抗病毒治疗中的应用前景,以期为抗病毒免疫研究和治疗提供理论支持。

关键词: siRNA, miRNA, 抗病毒, VSR

Abstract:

RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene silencing mechanism mediated by small RNAs derived from double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), capable of silencing specific genes. Following viral invasion, the dsRNA produced during viral replication is cleaved by the host cell’s Dicer protein, generating virus-derived small interfering RNAs (virus-derived small interference RNAs, vsiRNA). These vsiRNAs then guide the cleavage and degradation of viral RNA via the RNAi pathway, exerting an antiviral effect. Therefore, RNAi is also recognized as an efficient antiviral immune pathway during viral infection. However, through long-term evolution, viruses have developed various strategies to counteract RNAi. For instance, they encode specific viral suppressors of RNAi (VSRs) that target and antagonize key molecules in this pathway. Research indicates that designing drugs to specifically target VSRs can “unlock” the antiviral function of RNAi within host cells, demonstrating highly potent and relatively broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Furthermore, viral infection can also be regulated by host- or virus-derived microRNAs (miRNAs). The role of miRNAs in viral infection provides new targets for antiviral therapy. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of RNAi in antiviral immunity, recent research advances, and its application prospects in antiviral therapy, aiming to provide theoretical support for antiviral immunity research and treatment.

Key words: siRNA, miRNA, antiviral, VSR