Abstract
Ribosomal proteins (RPs), in conjunction with rRNA, are major components of ribosomes involved in the cellular process of protein biosynthesis, known as “translation”. The viruses, as the small infectious pathogens with limited genomes, must recruit a variety of host factors to survive and propagate, including RPs. At present, more and more information is available on the functional relationship between RPs and virus infection. This review focuses on advancements in my own understanding of critical roles of RPs in the life cycle of viruses. Various RPs interact with viral mRNA and proteins to participate in viral protein biosynthesis and regulate the replication and infection of virus in host cells. Most interactions are essential for viral translation and replication, which promote viral infection and accumulation, whereas the minority represents the defense signaling of host cells by activating immune pathway against virus. RPs provide a new platform for antiviral therapy development, however, at present, antiviral therapeutics with RPs involving in virus infection as targets is limited, and exploring antiviral strategy based on RPs will be the guides for further study.
Highlights
A ribosome is a type of intracellular machinery responsible for protein biosynthesis in all cells; this process from RNA to protein in the genetic central dogma is known as “translation”.Outside of its catalytic role, the ribosome is a translational regulator during protein synthesis.Ribosome components include ribosomal proteins (RPs) and ribosomal RNA
Cells 2019, 8, 508 for preferentially producing RPs to maintain viral propagation. In these related functions of RPs, some are ribosome-dependent, mainly participating in viral protein biosynthesis, and the other are independent of the ribosome, involving in the regulation of virus infection in host cells
When culture medium from cells infected by Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is freed of virus and added to confluent fibroblasts, RPS6 kinase (RPS6K) is rapidly activated, which indicates that RPS6 phosphorylation in virus-infected cells is a consequence of the production of cell factors [64]
Summary
A ribosome is a type of intracellular machinery responsible for protein biosynthesis in all cells; this process from RNA to protein in the genetic central dogma is known as “translation”. Apart from being components of ribosomes, RPs play essential roles in ribosome biogenesis, in which RPs as RNA chaperones stabilize rRNAs and promote their correct folding for assembly of ribosomal subunits [3,4]. After infection by some viruses (for example herpes viruses), translation of cellular mRNA is often selectively suppressed, whereas translation initiation of RPs mRNA increases and persists late [9,10]. Cells 2019, 8, 508 for preferentially producing RPs to maintain viral propagation In these related functions of RPs, some are ribosome-dependent, mainly participating in viral protein biosynthesis, and the other are independent of the ribosome, involving in the regulation of virus infection in host cells. The most relevant studies are summarized, and the author will focus on the roles of RPs in regulation of viral replication and infection in host cells and discuss RPs as potential targets for antiviral therapeutics
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