Viral FLICE-inhibitory proteins (FLIPs) prevent apoptosis induced by death receptors.
Thome, Margot; Schneider, Pascal; Hofmann, Kay; Fickenscher, Helmut; Meinl, Edgar; Neipel, Frank; Mattmann, Chantal; Burns, Kim; Bodmer, Jean-Luc; Schroter, Michael; Scaffidi, Carsten; Krammer, Peter H.; Peter, Marcus E.; Tschopp, Jurg
[Letter]
Nature.
386(6624):517-521, April 3, 1997.
(Format: HTML)
Viruses have evolved many distinct strategies to avoid the host's apoptotic response. Here we describe a new family of viral inhibitors (v-FLIPs) which interfere with apoptosis signalled through death receptors [3] and which are present in several gamma-herpesviruses (including Kaposi's-sarcoma-associated human herpesvirus-8), as well as in the tumorigenic human molluscipoxvirus. v-FLIPs contain two death-effector domains which interact with the adaptor protein FADD, and this inhibits the recruitment and activation of the protease FLICE by the CD95 death receptor. Cells expressing v-FLIPs are protected against apoptosis induced by CD95 or by the related death receptors TRAMP and TRAIL-R. The herpesvirus saimiri FLIP is detected late during the lytic viral replication cycle, at a time when host cells are partially protected from CD95-ligand-mediated apoptosis. Protection of virus-infected cells against death-receptor-induced apoptosis may lead to higher virus production and contribute to the persistence and oncogenicity of several FLIP-encoding viruses.
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