info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Uncovering viral protein-protein interactions and their role in arenavirus life cycle
Fecha
2012-09Registro en:
Loureiro, Maria Eugenia; D'antuono, Alejandra Lorena; Levingston Macleod, Jesica M.; Lopez, Nora Mabel; Uncovering viral protein-protein interactions and their role in arenavirus life cycle; MDPI; Viruses; 4; 9; 9-2012; 1651-1667
1999-4915
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Loureiro, Maria Eugenia
D'antuono, Alejandra Lorena
Levingston Macleod, Jesica M.
Lopez, Nora Mabel
Resumen
The Arenaviridae family includes widely distributed pathogens that cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. Replication and packaging of their single-stranded RNA genome involve RNA recognition by viral proteins and a number of key protein-protein interactions. Viral RNA synthesis is directed by the virus-encoded RNA dependent-RNA polymerase (L protein) and requires viral RNA encapsidation by the Nucleoprotein. In addition to the role that the interaction between L and the Nucleoprotein may have in the replication process, polymerase activity appears to be modulated by the association between L and the small multifunctional Z protein. Z is also a structural component of the virions that plays an essential role in viral morphogenesis. Indeed, interaction of the Z protein with the Nucleoprotein is critical for genome packaging. Furthermore, current evidence suggests that binding between Z and the viral envelope glycoprotein complex is required for virion infectivity, and that Z homo-oligomerization is an essential step for particle assembly and budding. Efforts to understand the molecular basis of arenavirus life cycle have revealed important details on these viral protein-protein interactions that will be reviewed in this article.