Cosmin SaveanuNonsense mediated mRNA decay (#NMD) is frequently a target of viral proteins since an active NMD can limit viral replication. As shown by the lovely work of Fiorini and colleagues, the N protein of #SARS-CoV-2 physically and functionally interact with #Upf1 and #Upf2, two core NMD factors. These results complement previously published studies, such as the one from the Makino group, 2018, on the murine hepatitis virus, a related coronavirus.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39831305/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30297408/
The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein interferes with the full enzymatic activation of UPF1 and its interaction with UPF2 - PubMed
The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway triggers the degradation of defective mRNAs and governs the expression of mRNAs with specific characteristics. Current understanding indicates that NMD is often significantly suppressed during viral infections to protect the viral genome. In numerous vi …