{
  "abstract": "Interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) is a mammalian innate immune sensor composed of a filament-forming pyrin domain (PYD) followed by tandem HIN200 domains that bind nucleic acids. First recognized as a major regulator of inflammatory responses against cytosolic double-stranded (ds)DNA, IFI16 filaments have been implicated in several key mechanical processes involving both host and pathogens, including viral replication restriction, latency regulation, replication-stress responses, and DNA-damage responses. Moreover, IFI16 filaments are ultra-stable, a key trait believed to drive its autoantigenicity. Although recent studies reported that IFI16 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) via disordered linkers and multivalent protein-dsDNA interactions, whether such a metastable entity provides a framework for the mechanical activities of IFI16 remains unknown. Here, we show that PYD-driven filament assembly confers the mechanical stability of IFI16 condensates by compacting DNA into ultra-stable tangles capable of withstanding forces sufficient to induce duplex deformation. By contrast, HIN200-dsDNA complexes are much more sensitive to ionic perturbation, DNA pretension, and mechanical interference. Together, we demonstrate that filament assembly allows IFI16 to act as a mechano-sensitive restrictor.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "C. M. Stallings"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Garg"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "J. Sohn"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8dcbj4zn5cdpg.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.30.763160",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.30.763160v1.full",
  "id": "8dcbj4zn5cdpg",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.30.763160v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "biophysics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.30.763160v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-30",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8dcbj4zn5cdpg.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T00:20:40Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.30.763160",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.30.763160v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:biophysics",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Filament assembly confers the mechanical resilience of the IFI16 restrictosome",
  "title_text": "Filament assembly confers the mechanical resilience of the IFI16 restrictosome",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T00:21:04Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8dcbj4zn5cdpg",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}