Establishing the molecular basis for MDA5 mutation-linked autoimmunity

Melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), a member of the RIG-I-like receptor family, is a cytoplasmic sensor essential for innate antiviral immunity. MDA5 distinguishes viral RNA from host RNA in part through its ATP hydrolysis activity, which promotes filament turnover on shorter endogenous double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). Here, we show that the gain-of-function T331I disease-linked mutation within the ATP-binding pocket disrupts this balance, resulting in constitutive interferon signaling. Through a combination of cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), biochemical assays, and cellular analyses, we reveal the extensive network of interactions that precisely position ATP for catalysis in the wild-type MDA5 ATP-binding pocket and also demonstrate that the T331I mutation impairs ATPase activity, thereby stabilizing MDA5-dsRNA complexes and leading to aberrant immune activation. These findings elucidate how MDA5 ATPase activity regulates antiviral specificity and prevents autoimmunity by controlling filament stability and downstream signaling, offering a mechanistic molecular explanation for disease pathogenesis.