The Rubella virus capsid is an anti-apoptotic protein that attenuates the pore-forming ability of Bax.

ABSTRACT: Apoptosis is an important mechanism by which virus-infected cells are eliminated from the host. Accordingly, many viruses have evolved strategies to prevent or delay apoptosis in order to provide a window of opportunity in which virus replication, assembly and egress can take place. Interfering with apoptosis may also be important for establishment and/or maintenance of persistent infections. Whereas large DNA viruses have the luxury of encoding accessory proteins whose primary function is to undermine programmed cell death pathways, it is generally thought that most RNA viruses do not encode these types of proteins. Here we report that the multifunctional capsid protein of Rubella virus is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis. The main mechanism of action was specific for Bax as capsid bound B

SUBMITTER: Ilkow CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3040668 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature