Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) enhances translation of virus-resembling AU-rich host transcripts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Viruses strongly rely on the host's translational machinery to produce viral proteins required for replication. However, it is unknown how viruses that do not globally inhibit cap-dependent translation compete with abundant host transcripts for ribosomes. Viral infection often triggers eukaryotic initiator factor 2α (eIF2α) phosphorylation, leading to global 5'-cap-dependent translation inhibition. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) encodes mRNAs mimicking 5'-cap structures of host mRNAs and thus inhibition of cap-dependent translation initiation would likely also reduce viral translation.

Methods

RSV-infected HEp-2 and A549 cells were analyzed to determine translation levels using western blotting, indirect immunofluorescent staining and polysome profiling. Transc

SUBMITTER: Kerkhofs K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12265200 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature