Camel Viperin : First report of an interferon-responsive gene from camelids

What is it about?

Virus infection activates pattern recognition receptors in the host, stimulating the production of interferons that activate antiviral effector genes. Viperin's one of the most highly induced interferon-stimulated genes, and it's got broad antiviral activity. Camel-borne zoonotic viruses have been a growing problem in the Arabian Peninsula, but camelid antiviral genes have hardly been studied. This is the first report of an interferon-responsive gene from the mammalian suborder Tylopoda to which modern camels belong. The cDNA for viperin encodes 361 amino acids and was cloned from camel kidney cells treated with dsRNA mimetic. Poly(I:C) and interferon treatment induced viperin expression in camel kidney cells. In camel kidney cells infected with the camelpox virus, viperin expression was subdued, suggesting virus suppression. Transient transfection of camel viperin enhances camelpox virus resistance in cultured camel kidney cell lines.

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Why is it important?

Research on viperin's role in camel immunity against emerging viral pathogens will help understand viral immune evasion strategies and enable better antivirals.