Conserved requirement of autophagy-related effectors during coronavirus replication

The recurrence of zoonotic transmission events highlights the need for novel treatment strategies against emerging coronaviruses (CoVs), namely SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and most notably SARS-CoV-2. Our recently performed genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen revealed a list of conserved pan-coronavirus as well as MERS-CoV or HCoV-229E-specific host dependency factors (HDF) essential during the viral life cycle. Intriguingly, we identified the macroautophagy/autophagy pathway-regulating immunophilins FKBP8, TMEM41B, and MINAR1 as conserved MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 host factors, which further constitute potential targets for therapeutic intervention by clinically approved drugs.

Automated summary

A recent study identified host dependency factors, including immunophilins FKBP8, TMEM41B, and MINAR1, which regulate the macroautophagy/autophagy pathway and play crucial roles in the lifecycle of coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. These factors could potentially serve as therapeutic targets for the treatment of these emerging coronaviruses.