Ribonucleases as antiviral agents

Many ribonucleases (RNases) are able to inhibit the reproduction of viruses in infected cell cultures and laboratory animals, but molecular mechanisms of their antiviral activity remain unclear. The review observes the most known RNases which possess established antiviral effects, actually intracellular RNases (RNase L, MCPIPI protein, eosinophylic RNases) as well as exogenously applied ones (RNase A, BS-RNase, onconase, binase, synthetic RNases). Attention is given on two important but not always obligatory aspects in molecule of RNases, which have antiviral properties: catalytic activity and ability to the dimerization. The hypothetic scheme of virus elimination by exogenous RNases, that reflects possible types of interaction of viruses and RNases with a cell, is proposed. The evidence for RNases as classical components of immune defense which are perspective agents for development of new antiviral therapeutics is produced.