Antiviral function and viral antagonism of the rapidly evolving dynein activating adapter NINL. Antiviral function and viral antagonism of the rapidly evolving dynein activating adapter NINL

Viruses interact with the intracellular transport machinery to promote viral replication. Such host-virus interactions can drive host gene adaptation, leaving signatures of pathogen-driven evolution in host genomes. Here we leverage these genetic signatures to identify the dynein activating adaptor, ninein-like (NINL), as a critical component in the antiviral innate immune response and as a target of viral antagonism. Unique among genes en¬¬coding for dynein subunits, subunits of its co-factor dynactin, and dynein activating adaptors, NINL has evolved under recurrent positive selection, specifically in its carboxy-terminal cargo binding region. Consistent with a role for NINL in host immunity, NINL knockout cells are more permissive to viral replication as a result of a severe attenuation of interferon stimulated gene (ISG) production following interferon treatment. Moreover, we show that proteases encoded by diverse picornaviruses and coronaviruses cleave and disrupt NINL function in a host- and virus-specific manner. Our work reveals the importance of NINL in the antiviral response and the utility of using signatures of host-virus conflicts to uncover new components of antiviral immunity and targets of viral antagonism. Overall design: Comparative gene expression analysis of RNA-seq data for A549 cells and its gene knockout derivatives (NINL KO, NIN KO) with or without interferon alpha treatment