Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42362929›Full record

ArticleNature ecology & evolution2026

An ancient anthozoan protein reveals an alternative evolutionary path of antiviral signalling.

Ton Sharoni, Adrian Jaimes-Becerra, Sydney Birch, Hee-Jin Kwak, Daria Aleshkina, Magda Lewandowska, Joachim M Surm, Hannah Justin, Reuven Aharoni, Adam M Reitzel and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature ecology & evolution, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Antiviral immunity regulates cnidarian viriomes.Nature ecology & evolution · 2026
    Article
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

11 authors.

Ton SharoniDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. ton.sharoni@mail.huji.ac.il.
Adrian Jaimes-BecerraDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Sydney BirchDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2269-4405
Hee-Jin KwakDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2494-2564
Daria AleshkinaDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Magda LewandowskaDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6963-1642
Joachim M SurmDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Hannah JustinDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0274-1190
Reuven AharoniDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Adam M ReitzelDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5734-7118
Yehu MoranDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. yehu.moran@mail.huji.ac.il.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9928-9294

Funding

EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council) 863809United States - Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) 2020669
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

How antiviral immunity first arose in animals is a central question in evolutionary biology. Here, using the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, we identify CARDIB, a previously uncharacterized gene located next to RLRb-a cnidarian homologue of the vertebrate RIG-I-like receptor family. This conserved genomic linkage across Anthozoa reveals an ancient coupling between immune sensing and regulation. Despite sequence similarity to vertebrate MAVS, CARDIB performs an opposing function: it represses immune genes under basal conditions yet is essential for activation upon viral challenge. CARDIB binds RLRb through a single CARD domain, forming a repressive complex. Loss of either gene abolishes antiviral transcription, disrupts apoptosis and elevates viral load under laboratory conditions. Both genes, as well as the RLRb paralogue RLRa, are essential for antiviral defence under native conditions. Phylogeny places the cnidarian CARDs distinctly from the vertebrate RLR-MAVS families, revealing an ancient mechanism that regulates the antiviral response through CARD-based signalling.

Indexed as

Biological EvolutionEvolution, MolecularImmunity, InnateSea AnemonesSignal TransductionAnimalsPhylogeny

Identifiers

PMID42362929

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.