Programmed -1 Ribosomal Frameshifting in coronaviruses: A therapeutic target.

Programmed -1 Ribosomal Frameshifting in coronaviruses: A therapeutic target.
Virology. 2020 Dec 25;554:75-82
Authors: Kelly JA, Woodside MT, Dinman JD
Abstract
Human population growth, climate change, and globalization are accelerating the emergence of novel pathogenic viruses. In the past two decades alone, three such members of the coronavirus family have posed serious threats, spurring intense efforts to understand their biology as a way to identify targetable vulnerabilities. Coronaviruses use a programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift (-1 PRF) mechanism to direct synthesis of their replicase proteins. This is a critical switch in their replication program that can be therapeutically targeted. Here, we discuss how nearly half a century of research into -1 PRF have provided insight into the virological importance of -1 PRF, the molecular mechanisms that drive it, and approaches that can be used to manipulate it towards therapeutic outcomes with particular emphasis on SARS-CoV-2.
PMID: 33387787 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Virology - December 25, 2020 Category: Virology Authors: Kelly JA, Woodside MT, Dinman JD Tags: Virology Source Type: research