STUB1 regulates antiviral RNAi through inducing ubiquitination and degradation of Dicer and AGO2 in mammals

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cell-intrinsic antiviral defense conserved in diverse organisms. However, the mechanism by which mammalian antiviral RNAi is regulated is largely unknown. Herein, we uncover that STUB1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, interacts with and ubiquitinates AGO2, the core component of RNAi pathway, resulting in the degradation of AGO2 via ubiquitin-proteasome system. Additionally, STUB1 can induce the degradation of the other mammalian AGO proteins including AGO1, AGO3, and AGO4. Our further study reveals that STUB1 also interacts with and mediates the ubiquitination of Dicer, the endoribonuclease responsible for siRNA or miRNA biogenesis, via K48-linked poly-ubiquitin, which induces the degradation of Dicer and its specialized form, termed antiviral Dicer (aviDicer) that usually expresses in stem cells. Loss of STUB1 upregulated Dicer and AGO2, thereby enhancing antiviral RNAi to effectively inhibit viral RNA replication in mammalian cells. In vivo, the STUB1 deficiency markedly enhanced the production of virus-derived siRNAs and elicited a potent antiviral effect against Enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71) infection in newborn mouse. Our findings demonstrate STUB1 as a novel negative regulator of RNAi by mediating the ubiquitination and degradation of Dicer and AGO proteins, and provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanism of antiviral RNAi in mammals. Overall design: Small RNA profile of virus-infected mice.