Going against the Tide: Selective Cellular Protein Synthesis during Virally Induced Host Shutoff

Abstract

Many viral infections cause host shutoff, a state in which host protein synthesis is globally inhibited. Emerging evidence from vaccinia and influenza A virus infections indicates that subsets of cellular proteins are resistant to host shutoff and continue to be synthesized. Remarkably, the proteins of oxidative phosphorylation, the cellular-energy-generating machinery, are selectively synthesized in both cases. Identifying mechanisms that drive selective protein synthesis should facilitate understanding both viral replication and fundamental cell biology.

Keywords: host shutoff; influenza A virus; oxidative phosphorylation; poxvirus; selective protein synthesis; vaccinia virus.