NEW ATLAS - Researchers have identified how the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 takes advantage of our cellular machinery to replicate and spread in the body, and, importantly, a way to stop it. The finding could lead to the development of a new class of antiviral therapies to treat not only SARS-CoV-2, but other viruses as well.
Genetic instructions in our cells are transcribed from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA), then translated into proteins that enable functions such as cell-to-cell communication. After translation, these proteins often need additional modifications, called post-translational modifications, to ensure they perform effectively. SUMOylation is one such post-translational modification that directly regulates viral replication and the body’s innate immune response.
Researchers from the University of California Riverside examined the post-translational modification mechanism that occurs during infection with SARS-CoV-2 to see if there is a way to stop its spread.