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Hijacking the translation apparatus by RNA viruses
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305, USA.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|August 7, 2002
Summary
RNA viruses hijack host cell translation machinery to replicate. This review details how three viral families recruit essential translation initiation factors, crucial for viral amplification.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Viral replication necessitates hijacking host cell machinery, as viruses lack ribosomes.
- Viral messenger RNAs (mRNAs) must compete with host mRNAs for translation resources.
- Translation initiation factors are essential, limited resources for protein synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review strategies employed by RNA viruses to recruit host translation initiation factors.
- To elucidate how viral mRNAs compete with cellular mRNAs for host translation apparatus.
- To describe the mechanisms used by three specific RNA virus families.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific publications on viral translation.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms of translation factor recruitment by viruses.
- Comparative study of strategies across different RNA virus families.
Main Results:
- Several RNA virus families have evolved distinct mechanisms to recruit host translation initiation factors.
- These viral strategies ensure efficient translation of viral proteins, even in resource-limited environments.
- The usurpation of limiting translation factors is key to successful viral genome amplification.
Conclusions:
- RNA viruses effectively manipulate host translation machinery for their own propagation.
- Understanding these viral strategies provides insights into fundamental translation processes.
- Targeting viral recruitment of translation factors could offer novel antiviral therapeutic approaches.