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Ribosomes in poxvirus infection

Chorong Park1, Derek Walsh1

  • 1Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

Current Opinion in Virology
|October 21, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Poxviruses, despite replicating in the cytoplasm, rely on host ribosomes for protein synthesis. Recent research reveals how these large DNA viruses directly manipulate ribosomes during infection.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Poxviruses are large double-stranded DNA viruses capable of cytoplasmic replication.
  • They possess extensive machinery for DNA replication, transcription, and mRNA processing.
  • Viral protein synthesis is essential for poxvirus replication, relying on host ribosomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of ribosome and translation regulation during poxvirus infection.
  • To highlight recent findings on how poxviruses directly target host ribosomes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on poxvirus-host interactions.
  • Analysis of recent research focusing on ribosome manipulation by poxviruses.
  • Synthesis of information regarding translation control mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Poxviruses control host translation initiation and elongation factors.
  • Emerging evidence shows direct targeting and regulation of the ribosome itself by poxviruses.
  • This manipulation is crucial for efficient viral protein production.

Conclusions:

  • Poxviruses employ sophisticated strategies to hijack the host cell's translational machinery.
  • Direct ribosome targeting represents a key mechanism for poxvirus replication.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate these complex interactions.

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