Zinc finger antiviral protein inhibits murine gammaherpesvirus 68 M2 expression and regulates viral latency in cultured cells

Yifang Xuan; Ling Liu; Sheng Shen; Hongyu Deng; Guangxia Gao

doi:10.1128/JVI.01514-12

Zinc finger antiviral protein inhibits murine gammaherpesvirus 68 M2 expression and regulates viral latency in cultured cells

J Virol. 2012 Nov;86(22):12431-4. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01514-12. Epub 2012 Sep 5.

Authors

Yifang Xuan¹, Ling Liu, Sheng Shen, Hongyu Deng, Guangxia Gao

Affiliation

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaogang District, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is a host factor that specifically inhibits the replication of certain viruses by binding to specific viral mRNAs and repressing mRNA expression. Here we report that ZAP inhibits expression of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) M2, which plays important roles in establishment and maintenance of viral latency. Downregulation of endogenous ZAP in cells harboring latent MHV-68 promoted lytic replication of the virus. These results suggest that ZAP inhibits M2 expression and regulates the maintenance of MHV-68 latency.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

5' Untranslated Regions
Animals
Down-Regulation
Gammaherpesvirinae / metabolism*
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral*
HEK293 Cells
Humans
Mice
Models, Biological
Models, Genetic
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
RNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
Viral Proteins / chemistry
Viral Proteins / metabolism*
Virus Latency
Virus Replication
Zinc Fingers*

Substances

5' Untranslated Regions
M2 protein, murine gammaherpesvirus 68
RNA, Messenger
RNA-Binding Proteins
Viral Proteins
ZAP antiviral protein, mouse
ZC3HAV1 protein, human