Mx Proteins: Antiviral Proteins by Chance or by Necessity?

The interferon-inducible Mx1 protein is responsible for inborn resistance of mice to influenza. It is now recognized that this protein is a member of a family of interferon-inducible, putative GTP-binding proteins found in many organisms. Thus, these proteins, called the Mx proteins, are found in species that are naturally infected with influenza virus, and also in species that are not. Some Mx proteins display a broader antiviral profile than the one observed for Mx1 in mice. Others, however, may not be antiviral. Two recently discovered GTP-binding proteins, Vps1p in yeast and dynamin in rat, are also related to Mx1. These proteins are synthesized constitutively and serve basic cellular functions.