DDX39A unwinds viral RNA G-quadruplexes to limit α-Synuclein amyloidogenesis.

DDX39A unwinds viral RNA G-quadruplexes and reduces α-Synuclein amyloid formation, highlighting a potential link between viral infection and Parkinson's disease.

• Why it matters: Understanding how RNA-binding proteins regulate α-Synuclein aggregation is crucial for uncovering mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and their possible viral triggers.
• What they did: The study used genomic rG4-sequences from H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 to show that DDX39A interacts with rG4s, unwinds viral rG4s, and modulates α-Synuclein amyloidogenesis, especially in infected neurons.
• The result: Overexpression of DDX39A alleviates α-Synuclein aggregation, suggesting that enhancing its activity could mitigate virus-related neurodegeneration and inform therapeutic strategies.