Unique features and functions of antiviral bat tetherin

Bats carry and transmit numerous deadly viruses to humans and harbour many unique immunological adaptations allowing them to host viruses without showing clinical symptoms of infection (1). Among these adaptations is tetherin (BST-2, CD317), a mammalian antiviral restriction factor that has undergone genomic expansion and structural diversification in some species of bats, such as the Australian black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) and southern myotis (Myotis macropus) (2), compared to tetherin in other mammals including humans. Human tetherin was first discovered to exert its antiviral effect by preventing the egress of enveloped viruses from infected cells and is involved in immune signalling through the NF kB pathway (3). This project will characterise unique features and functions of bat tetherin among bat species and their interplay with zoonotic viruses such as the Ebola virus. 1. Irving AT, Ahn M, Goh G, Anderson DE, Wang L-F. 2021. Lessons from the host defences of bats, a unique viral reservoir. Nature 589:363-370. 2. Hayward JA, Tachedjian M, Johnson A, Irving AT, Gordon TB, Cui J, Nicolas A, Smith I, Boyd V, Marsh GA. 2022. Unique evolution of antiviral tetherin in bats. J Virol 96:e01152-22. 3. Tiwari R, de la Torre JC, McGavern DB, Nayak D. 2019. Beyond tethering the viral particles: immunomodulatory functions of tetherin (BST-2). DNA and Cell Biology 38:1170-1177.