Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41758647›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

RNase L regulates the antiviral proteome by accelerating mRNA decay, inhibiting nuclear mRNA export, and repressing transcription.

J Monty Watkins, Cameron J Douglas, Renee Cusic, Ciaran P Seath, James M Burke

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. iScience · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

J Monty WatkinsSkaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
Cameron J DouglasSkaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
Renee CusicSkaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
Ciaran P SeathDepartment of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA. Electronic address: cseath@ufl.edu.
James M BurkeDepartment of Molecular Medicine, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA. Electronic address: james.burke@ufl.edu.

Funding

Photoproximity labeling as a tool for epigenetic drug discoveryR35GM150765 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI Ciaran Seath · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
Understanding the OAS/RNase L pathway during pathogenic viral infectionsR35GM151249 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI James M Burke · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
Vanquish Neo UHPLC for The Wertheim UF Scripps InstituteS10OD036363 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI TSAPRAILIS, GEORGE · 2024 to 2024
$93k
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM150765NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM151249NIH HHS S10 OD036363
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ribonuclease L (RNase L) is an antiviral endoribonuclease that triggers widespread degradation of cellular mRNAs. Here, we show that RNase L-mediated decay of cellular mRNA is a conserved response to flaviviruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), and West Nile virus (WNV). Quantitative mass spectrometry shows that RNase L downregulates proteins with short half-lives involved in cell-cycle progression, cellular metabolism, and protein synthesis. However, mRNAs encoding antiviral proteins that are induced by interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) initially evade degradation by RNase L, allowing for the synthesis of critical antiviral proteins. At later times during the antiviral response, RNase L dampens ISG protein synthesis by triggering a block in nuclear mRNA export and repressing transcription. These findings show that RNase L regulates the antiviral proteome through an intricate balance of mRNA decay and nuclear RNA biogenesis, which is crucial for preventing overproduction of pro-inflammatory proteins.

Indexed as

Cell NucleusEndoribonucleasesProteomeRNA, MessengerRNA StabilityTranscription, GeneticActive Transport, Cell NucleusAnimalsHumans2-5A-dependent ribonucleaseEndoribonucleasesProteomeRNA, MessengerCP: molecular biologydsRNAinnate immunityinterferoninterferon-stimulated genesmRNAmRNA exportRNase LtranscriptionvirusZika virus

Identifiers

PMID41758647
PMCPMC13206644

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.