Species specificity of the NS1 protein of influenza B virus: NS1 binds only human and non-human primate ubiquitin-like ISG15 proteins.

ABSTRACT: Influenza B viruses, which cause a highly contagious respiratory disease every year, are restricted to humans, but the basis for this restriction had not been determined. Here we provide one explanation for this restriction: the species specificity exhibited by the NS1 protein of influenza B virus (NS1B protein). This viral protein combats a major host antiviral response by binding the interferon-alpha/beta-induced, ubiquitin-like ISG15 protein and inhibiting its conjugation to an array of proteins. We demonstrate that the NS1B protein exhibits species-specific binding; it binds human and non-human primate ISG15 but not mouse or canine ISG15. In both transfection assays and virus-infected cells, the NS1B protein binds and relocalizes only human and non-human primate ISG15 from the cytoplas

SUBMITTER: Sridharan H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2832935 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature