Regulated cell death is an important component of intrinsic host defense that many viruses manipulate to facilitate replication and persistence. The MCMV viral inhibitor of RIP activation (vIRA) prevents a novel RIP3-dependent regulated necrosis distinct from other forms of regulated necrosis. Upton and colleagues now show that the DNA-dependent activator of interferon (DAI/ZBP1/DLM-1), which has previously not been implicated in regulated cell death, cooperates with RIP3 in vivo to mediate regulated necrosis of MCMV-infected cells that is naturally suppressed by vIRA

Upton JW, Kaiser WJ, Mocarski ES. (2012) DAI/ZBP1/DLM-1 Complexes with RIP3 to Mediate Virus-Induced Programmed Necrosis that is Targeted by Murine Cytomegalovirus vIRA. Cell Host & Microbe.

11(3):290-297).

Preview: Welz PS, Pasparakis M. (2012). A Way to DAI. Cell Host & Microbe. 11(3):223-5.