A holistic evolutionary and structural study of flaviviridae provides insights into the function and inhibition of HCV helicase.

ABSTRACT: Viral RNA helicases are involved in duplex unwinding during the RNA replication of the virus. It is suggested that these helicases represent very promising antiviral targets. Viruses of the flaviviridae family are the causative agents of many common and devastating diseases, including hepatitis, yellow fever and dengue fever. As there is currently no available anti-Flaviviridae therapy, there is urgent need for the development of efficient anti-viral pharmaceutical strategies. Herein, we report the complete phylogenetic analysis across flaviviridae alongside a more in-depth evolutionary study that revealed a series of conserved and invariant amino acids that are predicted to be key to the function of the helicase. Structural molecular modelling analysis revealed the strategic significance

SUBMITTER: Vlachakis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3646357 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature