Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2026

In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity
Published on: March 25, 2020
Convergent evolution of viral nucleases targeting cyclic dinucleotides
Zichen Li1,2, Leiliang Zhang1,2
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Abstract:
Poxviruses, African swine fever virus (ASFV), and bacteriophages have independently evolved nucleases that degrade cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), which are critical second messengers that mediate antiviral responses. This Pearl synthesizes recent advancements in our understanding of viral CDN-degrading nucleases and emphasizes three key themes. First, there is the conservation of CDN signaling mechanisms across different biological domains. Second, we observe the diverse structural adaptations of viral nucleases for CDN degradation. Finally, structural protein folds are conserved, allowing for functional replacements across species. Additionally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting these nucleases with resistant CDN analogues and through structure-guided drug discovery. This convergence in viral immune evasion strategies provides valuable insights into the development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapies and offers new opportunities for enhancing immune responses in therapeutic contexts.
Related Concept Videos
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
Viruses of Archaea
Viral Mutations
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Bacterial RNA Polymerase
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...

