Novel molecular insights into the autophagy–virus arms race

Autophagy can restrict virus replication so efficiently that viruses have evolved means to avoid or oppose the autophagic response. Two recent studies (Ames et al. and Martin-Sancho et al.) have revealed that the autophagy receptor optineurin restricts HSV-1 replication in neurons and have elucidated how the M2 protein of IAV inhibits the completion of autophagy.