Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus accessory protein 4a is a type I interferon antagonist.

ABSTRACT: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe acute respiratory infection with as yet unclear epidemiology. We previously showed that MERS-CoV counteracts parts of the innate immune response in human bronchiolar cells. Here we analyzed accessory proteins 3, 4a, 4b, and 5 for their abilities to inhibit the type I interferon response. Accessory protein 4a was found to block interferon induction at the level of melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) activation presumably by direct interaction with double-stranded RNA.

SUBMITTER: Niemeyer D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3807936 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature