We thank the reviewer for pointing out the inaccuracy in the references. The statement "...IFITM3 elevates the level of cholesterol on late endosomes and lysosomes thereby restricting early IAV infection" is based on the publication of Kühnl et al. 2018 (mBio). The reference was replaced. We have also complemented the introductory part with the aspect of fusion inhibition through the amphipathic helix of IFITM3.
Lines 67-73 The inhibition of virus membrane fusion by IFITM3 has been attributed to the presence of a palmitoylated amphipathic helix within IFITM3 (Chesarino, EMBO Reports, 2017). This helix and neighboring palmitoylation sites are among the most highly conserved residues among IFITMs from all species. Additionally, the role of cholesterol in IFITM3’s mechanism of action has been largely disproven by the field, and reference 52 seems to have been misused in line 73.