Distinct Antiviral Responses in Pluripotent versus Differentiated Cells

There is a mystery unfolding, the solution of which has implications for the understanding of both stem cell biology and the evolution of the vertebrate pathogen defense response. At the heart of this puzzle lies the observation of substantially different antiviral responses in mammalian cells with high potency (e.g., embryonic stem, oocytes, induced pluripotent, teratocarcinoma, and embryonic carcinoma cells) versus differentiated somatic cells (i.e., epithelial, fibroblast, lymphocyte). While differentiated cells are proficient in the interferon (IFN)-associated protein-based response [1]–[3], pluripotent cells have an attenuated IFN response [4]–[8]. Conversely, pluripotent cells can utilize RNA interference (RNAi) to combat viruses [9], [10], while this response is attenuated in differentiated cells [11]. Here we provide an overview of this developing area of virology.