Overview:

OAS1, also known as 2’-5’ oligoadenylate synthetase 1, is a member of the 2-5A synthetase family that is involved in the innate immune response to viral infection in mammals. OAS1 expression is upregulated by the presence of type I interferons (1). OAS1 has no detectable unstimulated activity until activated by dsRNA to polymerize ATP to produce 2-5’ linked oligoadenylates (2-5A oligomers) (2). These oligomers activate a latent ribonuclease, RNase L, that degrade mRNA, thus inhibiting virus growth and replication (1). OAS1 was shown to exhibit strong antiviral effects against RNA and DNA viruses such as hepatitis C, West Nile virus, and SARS-CoV-2 (3,4)

Genbank Number:

P00973-1

References:

1. Sadler, A.J. & Williams, B.R.G.: Interferon-inducible antiviral effectors. Nat Rev Immunol. 8(7): 559-568, 2008.

2. Sarkar, S.N., et al: The nature of the catalytic domain of 2’-5’ oligoadenylate synthetases. J Biol Chem. 274(36): 25535-42, 1999.

3. Donovan, J. et al: Structural basis for cytosolic double-stranded RNA surveillace by human oligoadenylate synthetase 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 110(5):1652-7, 2013.

4. Danziger, O. et al: Inducible CRISPR activation screen for interferon-stimulated genes identifies OAS1 as a SARS-CoV-2 restriction factor. PLoS Pathog. 18(4):e1010464, 2022.