A07 - Functions and degradation of endogenously generated viral RNA
We established a system that allows to induce expression of viral RNA in non-infected cells. This system enabled us to perform a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen to identify proteins, which are regulating protein expression from viral RNA. We will test the candidates for their functionality in antiviral research and immune regulation. Surprisingly, even though the expressed RNA theoretically bears all features of viral RNA, it does not induce a classic innate immune response. We will dissect the underlying mechanisms and hypothesize that the mechanisms at work are important for taming immune responses by cellular RNA, which may potentially be exploited by diverse viruses.
