The 100 K protein of adenovirus: character, location, and function

Adenoviruses are the pathogens of a widespread adenovirus disease that affect wide range of hosts. 100 K protein is an important scaffolding protein for hexon assembly of the adenovirus. In recent years, the 100 K in the adenovirus attract more attention. Therefore, the character, location, and function of the 100 K protein is summarized from the past ten years. The current 100 K research mainly focuses on hexon assembly. The role of 100 K protein in hexon assembly is illustrated in detail. At early and late stages of hexon assembly, 100 K protein has localized to the nucleus and the cytoplasm to exert different functions. Its role in human granzyme B (GrB) and viral mRNA translation are also very important but have received little attention. The suppression of GrB by 100 K promote viral mRNA translation through inhibiting cell apoptosis. 100 K protein promotes hexon assembly through inhibition of cellular mRNA translation and cell apoptosis. The 100 K protein in ELISA kit may be used in differentiation of infected chickens from FAdV vaccinated chickens, but that in the vaccine has little capacity to protect adenovirus infection. Meanwhile, the adenovirus vector with 100 K protein will hold promise for diverse gene therapy applications. This review will facilitate a better understanding of 100 K protein function during adenovirus infection.