# Genome-Wide RNAi Screening Identifies Novel Host Factors Involved in Influenza A Virus Infection in A549 Cells

## TL;DR

This study identifies genes in human cells that influence influenza A virus infection, offering potential targets for new antiviral treatments.

## Contribution

A genome-wide RNAi screen in A549 cells reveals novel host factors and pathways involved in influenza A virus infection.

## Key findings

- 2134 genes showed significant viability changes after influenza A virus infection.
- Key enriched pathways include RAS signaling, metabolic processes, and host response programs.
- 174 druggable host genes were identified, linked to 345 candidate compounds for drug repurposing.

## Abstract

Influenza A virus (IAV) remains a major global health threat, and host-directed antivirals may help overcome rapid viral mutation and drug resistance. Here, we performed a genome-wide siRNA screen in A549 cells using cell viability as an integrated endpoint to identify host determinants of IAV (PR8/H1N1) infection. Using plate-normalized viability ratios, we identified 2134 genes with >40% viability change after infection (2048 UP and 86 DOWN; two-tailed t-test, n = 3; p < 0.05, FDR < 0.1). MetaCore pathway analysis showed enrichment of programs linked to host response and tissue injury control, including RAS-related signaling and multiple metabolic pathways such as estradiol, ubiquinone/mitochondrial redox, and benzo[a]pyrene/xenobiotic metabolism. DAVID Gene Ontology analysis further highlighted biological processes relevant to infection, including endocytosis, transcription, and translation, consistent with host pathways supporting viral replication. Benchmarking against meta-analyzed RNAi and CRISPR resources revealed that shared hits were enriched for translation, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and ER-Golgi trafficking, supporting external validity, whereas the large unique UP fraction was dominated by hormone metabolism, detoxification, and mitochondrial redox/CoQ pathways, consistent with viability-specific, tolerance-associated host response programs. Integrating the screen with DrugBank identified 174 druggable host genes corresponding to 345 candidate compounds. Together, these findings provide a systematic resource of host factors influencing H1N1 infection, improve understanding of influenza virus–host interactions, and offer a foundation for future development of host-directed antiviral strategies and drug repurposing efforts.