Inhibition of XMRV by a weapon of mass deamination

20/04/10

All mammalian genomes contain genes encoding Apobec proteins. Several members of this protein family (the name stands for apolipoprotein B mRNA editing complex) are induced by interferon and are intrinsic antiretroviral proteins. Apobec proteins inhibit the replication of XMRV, a new human retrovirus associated with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.
During retroviral replication, Apobec proteins are packaged into newly synthesized retrovirus particles (illustrated). They exert their antiviral effect when Apobec-containing virions infect a new cell. As the viral reverse transcriptase begins to copy viral RNA into DNA, Apobec removes an amine group from cytosines in single stranded DNA, a process called deamination.  The consequence of deamination is that cytosine is changed to …

Original post by virology blog and software by Elliott Back

 

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