Time: 2024-08-29
virus have evolve over time to manipulate biological system , but there be still much to learn about how they operate , especially in footing of their protein . scientist at the Innovative Genomics Institute , light-emitting_diode by Jennifer Doudna , have make significant advancement in this area by make a database of predict structure of viral protein . This database has let them to uncover the function of previously enigmatic protein from assorted virus that infect eukaryotic cells.
One of the key challenge in perusal viral protein is the lack of sequence similarity with know protein , devising it difficult to deduce their function . However , research_worker like Martin Steinegger have develop tool for structure homology search , which can uncover unexpected structural similarity among protein with disparate sequence . This structural penetration has enable scientist to deduce the function of many viral protein that were previously unknown establish on sequence information alone.
Jason Nomburg , a postdoctoral research_worker in Doudna 's lab , spearhead a survey to computationally predict the structure of approximately 70,000 viral protein and form them into associate bunch establish on structural similarity . By analyze these bunch , the research_worker identify viral protein that mimic host protein and detect how they can interrupt cellular nerve_pathway , such as the STING signal nerve_pathway , which play a critical function in immune responses.
One intrigue determination from the survey was a bunch of viral phosphodiesterase - like protein that can interruption down nucleotide message molecule produce by cell in response to viral presence . These protein have been adapt in different ways by virus with deoxyribonucleic_acid or ribonucleic_acid genome to target particular substrate , highlight the divers scheme virus use to hedge the host immune response . This discovery shed light on the mechanism by which virus can interfere with crucial cellular pathways.
Overall , this research underscore the importance of understanding the structure and function of viral protein in clarify how virus interact with host cell and hedge immune detection . By combining computational prediction with biochemical analysis , scientist can uncover new penetration into the complex biology of virus and potentially identify target for antiviral therapy .
In order to survey viral protein , research_worker roll_up protein sequence from eukaryotic virus and use tool like MMseqs2 and ColabFold to predict their structure . By generate multiple sequence alliance and predict structure , scientist could analyze the relationship between different viral protein and identify bunch of protein with similar function . These analysis supply valuable penetration into the development and diverseness of viral protein across assorted virus family .
To further investigate the function of viral phosphodiesterase - like protein , research_worker conduct in vitro assay to buttocks their enzymatic activity in degrade nucleotide message molecule like 2,3 - cGAMP . By determine the catalytic capability of these protein and their ability to interrupt cellular nerve_pathway , scientist derive a deep understanding of how virus can manipulate host immune response . These experiment supply crucial data for qualify the function of viral protein and their potential impact on host cell .
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