Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42225939›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2026

IFI16 restricts SARS-CoV-2 replication by disrupting nucleocapsid-driven phase separation.

Ilaria Cislaghi, Sarah Turati, Dalila Vicario, Gloria Griffante, Shikha Chandel, Irene Lo Cigno, Ranieri Bizzarri, Barbara Storti, Tina Ukmar Godec, Milan Zachrdla and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Ilaria CislaghiVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Sarah TuratiVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Dalila VicarioVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Gloria GriffanteVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Shikha ChandelVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8309-9629
Irene Lo CignoVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5521-3642
Ranieri BizzarriDepartment of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Barbara StortiIstituto Nanoscienze, CNR, NEST-SNS, Pisa, Italy.
Tina Ukmar GodecGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
Milan ZachrdlaGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
Markus ZweckstetterGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2536-6581
Lucia SignoriniLaboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Milano, Italy.
Kevin Kamau MainaLaboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Milano, Italy.
Serena DelbueLaboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3199-9369
Cinzia BorgognaVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy. cinzia.borgogna@med.uniupo.it.ORCID 0000-0001-9973-2620
Marisa GariglioVirology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy. marisa.gariglio@med.uniupo.it.ORCID 0000-0002-5187-0140

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

IFI16 is an interferon-inducible protein that senses viral DNA and can also restrict RNA virus replication. Here, using IFI16 knockout cellular models, we identify IFI16 as a host restriction factor that limits SARS-CoV-2 replication. Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, IFI16 relocalizes from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it binds both the nucleocapsid protein and the viral genome. This impairs SARS-CoV-2 replication by inhibiting viral RNA-induced condensate formation of the nucleocapsid protein. Finally, we extend our analysis to other human coronaviruses and observe that IFI16 depletion also enhances OC43 replication, whereas it is associated with reduced NL63 replication, highlighting a differential, virus-specific effect of IFI16 on coronavirus infections. Overall, these findings provide mechanistic insights into how the absence of IFI16 creates a cellular environment that supports SARS-CoV-2 replication.

Indexed as

Coronavirus Nucleocapsid ProteinsCOVID-19Nuclear ProteinsNucleocapsidPhosphoproteinsSARS-CoV-2Virus ReplicationAnimalsHumansPhase SeparationRNA, ViralCoronavirus Nucleocapsid ProteinsIFI16 protein, humanNuclear ProteinsPhosphoproteinsRNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID42225939
PMCPMC13614959

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.