Viperin: a radical response to viral infection

One of the first lines of defense of the host immune response to infection is upregulation of interferons, which play a vital role in triggering the early nonspecific antiviral state of the host. Interferons prompt the generation of numerous downstream products, known as interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). One such ISG found to be either directly induced by type I, II, and III interferons or indirectly through viral infection is the 'virus inhibitory protein, endoplasmic reticulum-associated, interferon-inducible' protein, or viperin. Not only is viperin capable of combating a wide array of viral infections but its upregulation is also observed in the presence of endotoxins, various bacterial infections, or even in response to other immune stimuli, such as atherosclerotic lesions. Recent advances in the understanding of possible mechanisms of action of viperin involve, but are perhaps not limited to, interaction with farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase and disruption of lipid raft domains to prevent viral bud release, inhibition of hepatitis C virus secretory proteins, and coordination to lipid droplets and inhibition of viral replication. Unexpectedly, new insight into the human cytomegalovirus induction of this antiviral protein demonstrates that mitochondrial viperin plays a necessary and beneficial role for viral propagation.