Genes with 5' terminal oligopyrimidine tracts preferentially escape global suppression of translation by the SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 protein.

ABSTRACT: Viruses rely on the host translation machinery to synthesize their own proteins. Consequently, they have evolved varied mechanisms to co-opt host translation for their survival. SARS-CoV-2 relies on a nonstructural protein, Nsp1, for shutting down host translation. However, it is currently unknown how viral proteins and host factors critical for viral replication can escape a global shutdown of host translation. Here, using a novel FACS-based assay called MeTAFlow, we report a dose-dependent reduction in both nascent protein synthesis and mRNA abundance in cells expressing Nsp1. We perform RNA-seq and matched ribosome profiling experiments to identify gene-specific changes both at the mRNA expression and translation levels. We discover that a functionally coherent subset of human genes is

SUBMITTER: Rao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8370740 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature