Viruses have become a part of animals and humans. When viruses invade cells, they can penetrate into the nucleus through their genomes and become a part of the genome of infected organisms. Viruses transfer their genes between various organisms and between tissues containing highly differentiated cells in organisms. However, it is not clear how they untie the well-packaged genes and release them to cause infection.
Mib 1 protein systematically controls virus infection.
The research team of Urs Greber, a professor at the Institute of Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Zurich, has identified a kind of protein in human cells for the first time, and this kind of protein is the key to successfully remove viral DNA: ubiquitin ligase thought bomb 1. Graber said: This protein enables adenovirus to dissociate its DNA and secrete it into the nucleus, which is crucial for successful infection. If protein is not produced or does not work normally, the virus will penetrate into cells and reach the nuclear membrane, but it will still be stuck in the porous structure of the nuclear membrane. Graber said: This discovery opens up new possibilities for developing antiviral therapy that can block Mib 1 in well-differentiated cells. At present, there are no effective drugs to fight these widespread viruses.
Look for the door handle at the nuclear entrance
Researchers discovered this protein by using RNA interference to turn off most genes in lung epithelial cells one by one, and then testing whether adenovirus can infect these cells. Graber said: When we suppress Mib 1 gene or knock it out with CRISPR-Cas technology, the virus infection rate drops sharply. In fact, all adenoviruses stay in the pore structure outside the nucleus. After gene intervention, once these cells produce a small amount of Mib 1 again, Mib 1 will reach the virus at the nuclear pore, and the virus will coat its gene and infect the cells.
Adenovirus: Threatening the life of immune system
Adenovirus is widely distributed in humans and many animals. In humans, they can cause infections of respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract, as well as infections of kidneys, liver, eyes and blood cells. For healthy people, these viruses are not life-threatening-viruses only settle in immune cells, and they can survive in immune cells for months without damaging cells or tissues. But in people with weak immune system, adenovirus can easily spread to other cells, which is life-threatening.
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