Viruses 2017, 9(10), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/v9100290
The Bcl-2 Family in Host-Virus Interactions
1
Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
2
Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 22 September 2017 / Revised: 1 October 2017 / Accepted: 3 October 2017 / Published: 6 October 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Infection and Apoptosis)
Abstract
Members of the B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family are pivotal arbiters of mitochondrially mediated apoptosis, a process of fundamental importance during tissue development, homeostasis, and disease. At the structural and mechanistic level, the mammalian members of the Bcl-2 family are increasingly well understood, with their interplay ultimately deciding the fate of a cell. Dysregulation of Bcl-2-mediated apoptosis underlies a plethora of diseases, and numerous viruses have acquired homologs of Bcl-2 to subvert host cell apoptosis and autophagy to prevent premature death of an infected cell. Here we review the structural biology, interactions, and mechanisms of action of virus-encoded Bcl-2 proteins, and how they impact on host-virus interactions to ultimately enable successful establishment and propagation of viral infections. View Full-TextKeywords:
Bcl-2; apoptosis; autophagy; structural biology; poxvirus; herpesvirus; asfarvirus; iridovirus; adenovirus; host-pathogen interactions
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kvansakul, M.; Caria, S.; Hinds, M.G. The Bcl-2 Family in Host-Virus Interactions. Viruses 2017, 9, 290.
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