Herpes hitches a ride on cellular protein
2 Feb 2011 by Evoluted New Media
The herpes virus protein piggybacks the human cellular machinery, hijacking human cells and spreading infection say researchers in Manchester who have uncovered one of many tactical manoeuvres employed by the virus.
The herpes virus protein piggybacks the human cellular machinery, hijacking human cells and spreading infection say researchers in Manchester who have uncovered one of many tactical manoeuvres employed by the virus.
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Human cellular protein (blue) with a herpes protein docked (red), showing the interaction leading to increased export of viral genetic material from the cell nucleus. Credit: Drs Alexander Golovano and Richard Tunnicliffe, The University of Manchester |
Using NMR, the team from the University of Manchester were able to produce images of a herpes protein interacting with a mouse cellular protein. These were then used to develop a 3D model of this herpes virus protein interacting with human protein.
The model shows how the viral protein piggybacks onto the molecular machinery components inside human cells, promoting virus replication and spread of infection through the body.
“When you look at the image, it’s like a backpack on an elephant; the small compact fragment of viral protein fits nicely on the back of the human protein,” said lead researcher Dr Alexander Golovanov.
By studying the images together with biochemical experiments using the human version of the cellular protein, the team has uncovered the mechanism by which the viral and cellular proteins collaborate to guide the viral genetic material out of the cell nucleus. Once there, the material can be used to make proteins that act as building blocks for new viruses.
“Viruses cannot survive or replication on the own – they need the resources and apparatus within a human cell to do so. To prevent or treat diseases caused by viruses we need to know as much as possible about how they do this so that we can spot weak points or take out key tactical manoeuvres,” said Golovanov.
“Our discovery gives us a whole step more detail on how herpes viruses use the human cell to survive and replicate,” he added. “This opens up the possibilities for asking new questions about how to prevent to treat the diseases they cause.”
