PNAS Plus: Deubiquitinase function of arterivirus papain-like protease 2 suppresses the innate immune response in infected host cells
Abstract
Many viruses encode proteases that cleave both viral and host substrates. Arteriviruses encode such a dual-specificity protease (PLP2) that removes ubiquitin from cellular proteins involved in host immunity. Based on a 3D structure of PLP2, we engineered the protease to have diminished deubiquitinating activity without affecting its activity toward its viral substrate. Viruses expressing such engineered proteases displayed a significantly weakened ability to evade host immune responses. This result demonstrates a crucial role for PLP2 in arterivirus immune evasion and opens new possibilities for developing improved attenuated virus vaccines against economically important arteriviruses and other viruses encoding similar dual-specificity proteases.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- February 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1218464110
- Bibcode:
- 2013PNAS..110E.838V