ZFP36L1 and L2 as novel antiviral factors for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus via interaction with viral nucleoprotein.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) belongs to the genus Orthonairovirus and is the causative agent of viral hemorrhagic fever with a case fatality rate of 30%. Like many other viral proteins, the nucleoprotein (N) interacts with host factors during viral replication, leading to both pro- and anti-viral consequences. However, few studies have explored protein-protein interactions (PPI) between N and host proteins. In this study, we screened the PPI with 1116 human transcription factors and regulators using the AlphaScreen assay, which employs a cell-free synthesized human protein library. The host RNA-binding proteins, ZFP36L1 and L2, were identified through this screening, and further functional analyses revealed that both proteins significantly inhibited CCHFV minigenome replication. N and ZFP36 proteins interacted within cells, and the expression of N altered the intracellular localization of ZFP36 proteins. Interestingly, the RNA-binding activity of ZFP36s was not essential for the interaction and inhibition of CCHFV minigenome replication. A reporter assay using TNFA and IFNG UTRs, target RNAs of ZFP36 proteins, showed that CCHFV N activated ZFP36-mediated mRNA degradation. Further analysis revealed that the N-terminal region of ZFP36L1 was important for its interaction with CCHFV N. Deletion of the N-terminus of ZFP36L1 decreased its inhibitory effect on the minigenome, but not on the TNFA and IFNG reporters, suggesting context-dependent regulation of RNA degradation. This study demonstrated the applicability of PPI screening using protein array and AlphaScreen technology for investigating viral-host interactions. Further studies will contribute to understanding the antiviral immunity driven by host proteins and the corresponding viral countermeasures.