Virus–Host Interactions and the ARTD/PARP Family of Enzymes

The Poly ADP-Ribose Polymerases (PARPs), also called Diphtheria toxin-like ADP-Ribosyltransferases (ARTDs), catalyze the transfer of ADP-Ribose from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to targeted proteins.The activity of these enzymes is generally correlated to cellular stress responses, including oxidative stress, DNA repair, and pathogen infection.Several lines of evidence, including an association with the interferon response, accelerated evolution, and the regulation of viral and antiviral defense transcripts, converge to implicate a widespread involvement of ARTDs/PARPs and ADP-Ribosylation in the mammalian antiviral response.Here, we provide a brief overview of this emerging subfield of virus-host interactions.