Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 3 is an IFN-stimulated Gene that Facilitates Viral Genome Release

An increasing body of evidence emphasizes the role of metabolic reprogramming in immune cells to fight off infections. However, little is known about the regulation of metabolite transporters that facilitate and support metabolic demands. In this study, we found that equilibrative nucleoside transporter 3 (ENT3) expression is part of the innate immune response, and is rapidly upregulated upon bacterial and viral infection. The transcription of ENT3 is directly under the regulation of IFN-induced signaling, positioning this metabolite transporter as an Interferon-stimulated gene (ISG). Moreover, we unveil that several viruses, including SARS-CoV2, require ENT3 to facilitate their entry into the cytoplasm. The removal or suppression of ENT3 expression is sufficient to significantly decrease viral replication in vitro and in vivo.