Delayed by design: Role of suboptimal signal peptidase processing of viral structural protein precursors in flaviviridae virus assembly

Nabeel Alzahrani, Ming-Jhan Wu, Saravanabalaji Shanmugam, Min Kyung Yi

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

The Flaviviridae virus family is classified into four different genera, including flavivirus, hepacivirus, pegivirus, and pestivirus, which cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and other mammals, including ruminants and pigs. These are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses sharing a similar genome organization and replication scheme with certain unique features that differentiate them. All viruses in this family express a single polyprotein that encodes structural and nonstructural proteins at the N- and C-terminal regions, respectively. In general, the host signal peptidase cleaves the structural protein junction sites, while virus-encoded proteases process the nonstructural polyprotein region. It is known that signal peptidase processing is a rapid, co-translational event. Interestingly, certain signal peptidase processing site(s) in different Flaviviridae viral structural protein precursors display suboptimal cleavage kinetics. This review focuses on the recent progress regarding the Flaviviridae virus genus-specific mechanisms to downregulate signal peptidase-mediated processing at particular viral polyprotein junction sites and the role of delayed processing at these sites in infectious virus particle assembly.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number1090
JournalViruses
Volume12
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Delayed processing
  • Flaviviridae
  • Flavivirus
  • HCV
  • Hepacivirus
  • Nucleocapsid
  • Pestivirus
  • Signal peptidase
  • Virus assembly

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

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