Lost in deletion: The enigmatic ORF8 protein of SARS-CoV-2.

ABSTRACT: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome contains nine open reading frames (ORFs) that encode for accessory proteins which, although dispensable for viral replication, are important for the modulation of the host infected cell metabolism and innate immunity evasion. Among those, the ORF8 gene encodes for the homonymous multifunctional, highly immunogenic, immunoglobulin-like protein that was recently found to inhibit presentation of viral antigens by class I major histocompatibility complex, suppress the type I interferon antiviral response and interact with host factors involved in pulmonary inflammation and fibrogenesis. Moreover, the ORF8 is a hypervariable gene rapidly evolving among SARS-related coronaviruses, with a tendency to recombine and undergo del

SUBMITTER: Zinzula L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7577707 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature