Nonstructural proteins of respiratory syncytial virus suppress premature apoptosis by an NF-kappaB-dependent, interferon-independent mechanism and facilitate virus growth.

ABSTRACT: The two nonstructural (NS) proteins NS1 and NS2 of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are abundantly expressed in the infected cell but are not packaged in mature progeny virions. We found that both proteins were expressed early in infection, whereas the infected cells underwent apoptosis much later. Coincident with NS protein expression, a number of cellular antiapoptotic factors were expressed or activated at early stages, which included NF-kappaB and phosphorylated forms of protein kinases AKT, phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase, and glycogen synthase kinase. Using specific short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), we achieved significant knockdown of one or both NS proteins in the infected cell, which resulted in abrogation of the antiapoptotic functions and led to early apoptosis. NS-dep

SUBMITTER: Bitko V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1797585 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature