journals.asm.org
African swine fever virus A151R protein antagonizes the antiviral activity of barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) by targeting its dsDNA-binding activity | Journal of Virology
DNA viruses replicating in the cytoplasm must overcome host intrinsic defenses to ensure productive replication, yet the mechanisms underlying their antagonism of the DNA-binding antiviral factor BAF remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify African swine fever virus (ASFV) A151R as a novel viral regulator that disables BAF by targeting its double-stranded DNA-binding interface rather than altering its phosphorylation state. We demonstrate that A151R impairs BAF DNA binding, disrupts its dimerization, and promotes viral DNA accumulation and progeny production in a BAF-dependent manner. Importantly, this activity requires A151R-BAF interaction and is independent of BAF phosphorylation status. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized strategy employed by ASFV to neutralize host DNA-binding restriction factors and expand the molecular framework of BAF-mediated antiviral defense.
