Viruses that abuse ERAD for cell entry
Summary
For millions of years viruses have survived because they take over a cell as
intracellular parasites. Within a cell, a virus exploits cellular processes for its
replication and reproduction. To gain access to the cells interior, different viruses
can have similar but also completely diverse entry mechanisms. Polyomaviruses
localize in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen where they abuses ER associated
degradation (ERAD). In this process, specific ER proteins interact with the virus and
induce virus uncoating and dislocation to the cytosol. This review describes in more
detail how one typical virus uses the degradation mechanisms in the ER.
Furthermore we speculate about other viruses that might have similar ERAD
hijacking strategies.