Pro-Viral and Anti-Viral Roles of the RNA-Binding Protein G3BP1

Viruses depend on host cellular resources to replicate. Interaction between viral and host proteins is essential for the pathogens to ward off immune responses as well as for virus propagation within the infected cells. While different viruses employ unique strategies to interact with diverse sets of host proteins, the multifunctional RNA-binding protein G3BP1 is one of the common targets for many viruses. G3BP1 controls several key cellular processes, including mRNA stability, translation, and immune responses. G3BP1 also serves as the central hub for the protein–protein and protein–RNA interactions within a class of biomolecular condensates called stress granules (SGs) during stress conditions, including viral infection. Increasing evidence suggests that viruses utilize distinct strategies to modulate G3BP1 function—either by degradation, sequestration, or redistribution—and control the viral life cycle positively and negatively. In this review, we summarize the pro-viral and anti-viral roles of G3BP1 during infection among different viral families.