Advances in endoplasmic reticulum autophagy and its role in viral infection

Endoplasmic reticulum autophagy (ER-phagy) is an emerging form of selective autophagy that maintains ER homeostasis by selectively delivering ER components to lysosomes for degradation. Increasing evidence indicates that ER-phagy is closely involved in immune regulation, particularly in the context of viral infection, where it influences host antiviral defenses and virus–host interactions. In this review, we summarize recent advances in ER-phagy research, focusing on the identified mammalian ER-phagy receptors, their molecular characteristics, and their roles in maintaining ER function. Furthermore, we discuss the bidirectional interplay between ER-phagy and viral infections, including how ER-phagy contributes to innate immune responses through the regulation of antiviral signaling pathways, and how viruses manipulate ER-phagy machinery to promote their replication or evade host immunity. By highlighting the immunological significance of ER-phagy in virus–host interactions, this review provides new perspectives on the role of ER quality control mechanisms in antiviral immunity and their potential implications for the development of antiviral strategies.