Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies RNF24 as a critical host factor for foot-and-mouth disease virus entry

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes substantial economic losses in global livestock production; however, the key host factors supporting its early infection process remain poorly characterized.

In this study, we performed an unbiased genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screening using porcine cells to screen and identify host factors involved in FMDV infection.

We identified that the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF24 supports efficient FMDV entry. RNF24 depletion inhibits viral entry and replication, whereas its overexpression enhances viral infectivity. Mechanistically, RNF24 preferentially promotes K27-linked non-degradative polyubiquitination of leupaxin (LPXN) at lysine 162, driving LPXN's trafficking to the plasma membrane. At the membrane, LPXN assembles a ternary integrin-LPXN-VP1 complex that strengthens virus-receptor interactions and promotes viral adsorption and entry. Disruption of this ubiquitination event via the LPXN K162R mutation impairs complex formation and compromises viral entry.

Together, our study reveals a ubiquitin-dependent RNF24-LPXN regulatory axis that supports FMDV entry, highlights the role of non-degradative ubiquitination in viral pathogenesis, and proposes this interface as a potential target for antiviral intervention.