Zinc finger CCCH-type antiviral protein 1 (ZC3HAV1)

Antiviral protein which inhibits the replication of viruses by recruiting the cellular RNA degradation machineries to degrade the viral mRNAs. Binds to a ZAP-responsive element (ZRE) present in the target viral mRNA, recruits cellular poly(A)- specific ribonuclease PARN to remove the poly(A) tail, and the 3'- 5' exoribonuclease complex exosome to degrade the RNA body in the 3'-end.

Additionally, it recruits the decapping complex DCP1-DCP2 through RNA helicase p72 (DDX17) to remove the cap structure of the viral mRNA to commence its own degradation from the 5'-end. Its target viruses belong to families including retroviridae: human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), moloney and murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) and xenotropic MuLV-related virus (XMRV), filoviridae: ebola virus (EBOV) and marburg virus (MARV), togaviridae: sindbis virus (SINV) and Ross river virus (RRV).