Commandeering the Ribosome: Lessons Learned from Dicistroviruses about Translation

J Virol. 2016 May 27;90(12):5538-5540. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00737-15. Print 2016 Jun 15.

Abstract

To replicate, all viruses depend entirely on the enslavement of host cell ribosomes for their own advantage. To this end, viruses have evolved a multitude of translational strategies to usurp the ribosome. RNA-based structures known as internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) are among the most notable mechanisms employed by viruses to seize host ribosomes. In this article, we spotlight the intergenic region IRES from the Dicistroviridae family of viruses and its importance as a model for IRES-dependent translation and in understanding fundamental properties of translation.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dicistroviridae / genetics*
  • Dicistroviridae / physiology*
  • Genome, Viral*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Internal Ribosome Entry Sites*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Ribosomes / genetics*
  • Ribosomes / metabolism
  • Ribosomes / virology

Substances

  • Internal Ribosome Entry Sites
  • RNA, Viral

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