title: Dicer's role as an antiviral: still an enigma.
abstract: Dicer is a multifunctional protein that is essential across species for the generation of microRNAs, a function that is highly conserved across the plant and animal kingdoms. Intriguingly, Dicer exhibits antiviral functions in lower organisms including Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. Antiviral activity occurs via small interfering RNA production following cytoplasmic sensing of viral dsRNA. Notably, such antiviral activity has not yet been clearly demonstrated in higher organisms such as mammals. Here, we review the evidence for Dicer as an innate antiviral across species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: MacKay
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Electronic address: Evelyn.Kurt-Jones@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Evelyn A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kurt-Jones
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; C408087:DICER1 protein, human; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases