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Transcriptional repressor Capicua is a gatekeeper of cell-intrinsic interferon responses
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Transcriptional repressor Capicua is a gatekeeper of cell-intrinsic interferon responses

Senthamizharasi Manivasagam, Julianna Han, Athmane Teghanemt, Henry Keen, Boopathi Sownthirarajan, Boyang Cheng, Abhiraj Singh, Abigail Lewis, Olivia A Vogel, Gayathri Loganathan, …
Cell host & microbe, Vol.33(4), pp.512-528.e7
04/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.02.017
PMCID: PMC11985295
PMID: 40132591
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.02.017View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Early detection of viral infection and rapid activation of host antiviral defenses through transcriptional upregulation of interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) are critical for controlling infection. However, aberrant production of IFN in the absence of viral infection leads to auto-inflammation and can be detrimental to the host. Here, we show that the DNA-binding transcriptional repressor complex composed of Capicua (CIC) and Ataxin-1 like (ATXN1L) binds to an 8-nucleotide motif near IFN and ISG promoters and prevents erroneous expression of inflammatory genes under homeostasis in humans and mice. By contrast, during respiratory viral infection, activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway results in rapid degradation of the CIC-ATXN1L complex, thereby relieving repression and allowing for robust induction of IFN and ISGs. Together, our studies define a new paradigm for host regulation of IFN and ISGs through the evolutionarily conserved CIC-ATXN1L transcriptional repressor complex during homeostasis and viral infection.
IFN virus-host interactions ATXN1L influenza virus interferon-stimulated genes CIC ISG interferon cell-intrinsic antiviral responses IAV

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