Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Functional Characterization of RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligases In Vitro and In Planta
Published on: December 5, 2019
Multifunctional nature of the arenavirus RING finger protein Z
Sarah Katharina Fehling1, Frank Lennartz, Thomas Strecker
1Institut für Virologie der Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 2, 35043 Marburg, Germany. fehling@staff.uni-marburg.de
Abstract:
Arenaviruses are a family of enveloped negative-stranded RNA viruses that can cause severe human disease ranging from encephalitis symptoms to fulminant hemorrhagic fever. The bi‑segmented RNA genome encodes four polypeptides: the nucleoprotein NP, the surface glycoprotein GP, the polymerase L, and the RING finger protein Z. Although it is the smallest arenavirus protein with a length of 90 to 99 amino acids and a molecular weight of approx. 11 kDa, the Z protein has multiple functions in the viral life cycle including (i) regulation of viral RNA synthesis, (ii) orchestration of viral assembly and budding, (iii) interaction with host cell proteins, and (iv) interferon antagonism. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the structural and functional role of the Z protein in the arenavirus replication cycle.
Related Concept Videos
Leaky Scanning
Ribozymes
Ribozymes can be...
Viruses of Archaea
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to form...
Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts
The SCF ubiquitin ligase is a protein complex of five individual proteins. This complex attaches ubiquitin to other target proteins to mark them for degradation. In order to...
Viruses with RNA Genomes

