TY - JOUR
T1 - Viral modulators of cell death provide new links to old pathways
AU - Irusta, Pablo M.
AU - Chen, Ying Bei
AU - Hardwick, J. Marie
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the National Institutes of Health for supporting RO1 grants NS34175, NS37402 and CA73581. We also thank members of the Hardwick and Kornbluth laboratories for insightful conversations.
PY - 2003/12
Y1 - 2003/12
N2 - By observing how viruses facilitate their parasitic relationships with host cells, we gain insights into key regulatory pathways of the cell. Not only are mitochondria key players in the regulation of programmed cell death, but many viral regulators of cell death also alter mitochondrial functions either directly or indirectly. Although cytomegalovirus vMIA and Epstein-Barr virus BHRF1 seem to have opposite effects on mitochondrial morphology, they both inhibit cell death. Drosophila Reaper, a regulator of developmental cell death, acts on IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) proteins to activate caspases, but can regulate mitochondrial permeability in vitro. Despite its pivotal role in Drosophila, homologues of Reaper in other species were not previously known. Recently, amino acid sequence similarity was recognized between Drosophila Reaper and a protein known to be important for the replication and virulence of mosquito-borne bunyaviruses that cause human encephalitis. Thus, viral mechanisms for regulating apoptosis are diverse and not fully elucidated but promise to provide new insights.
AB - By observing how viruses facilitate their parasitic relationships with host cells, we gain insights into key regulatory pathways of the cell. Not only are mitochondria key players in the regulation of programmed cell death, but many viral regulators of cell death also alter mitochondrial functions either directly or indirectly. Although cytomegalovirus vMIA and Epstein-Barr virus BHRF1 seem to have opposite effects on mitochondrial morphology, they both inhibit cell death. Drosophila Reaper, a regulator of developmental cell death, acts on IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) proteins to activate caspases, but can regulate mitochondrial permeability in vitro. Despite its pivotal role in Drosophila, homologues of Reaper in other species were not previously known. Recently, amino acid sequence similarity was recognized between Drosophila Reaper and a protein known to be important for the replication and virulence of mosquito-borne bunyaviruses that cause human encephalitis. Thus, viral mechanisms for regulating apoptosis are diverse and not fully elucidated but promise to provide new insights.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0344845006&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0344845006&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ceb.2003.10.007
DO - 10.1016/j.ceb.2003.10.007
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14644194
AN - SCOPUS:0344845006
SN - 0955-0674
VL - 15
SP - 700
EP - 705
JO - Current Opinion in Cell Biology
JF - Current Opinion in Cell Biology
IS - 6
ER -