AI Article Synopsis
- Minor intron-containing genes (MIGs) represent less than 2% of human protein-coding genes but are crucial for the minor spliceosome process for gene excision.
- Despite their small numbers, proteins encoded by MIGs (MIG-Ps) are considerably present in the interaction networks of various RNA and DNA viruses, including SARS-CoV and HIV-1.
- The study suggests that MIG-Ps provide a stable, evolutionarily conserved foundation that viruses may exploit to infect and replicate within human cells.
Article Abstract
Minor intron-containing genes (MIGs) account for <2% of all human protein-coding genes and are uniquely dependent on the minor spliceosome for proper excision. Despite their low numbers, we surprisingly found a significant enrichment of MIG-encoded proteins (MIG-Ps) in protein-protein interactomes and host factors of positive-sense RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, MERS coronavirus, and Zika virus. Similarly, we observed a significant enrichment of MIG-Ps in the interactomes and sets of host factors of negative-sense RNA viruses such as Ebola virus, influenza A virus, and the retrovirus HIV-1. We also found an enrichment of MIG-Ps in double-stranded DNA viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomavirus, and herpes simplex viruses. In general, MIG-Ps were highly connected and placed in central positions in a network of human-host protein interactions. Moreover, MIG-Ps that interact with viral proteins were enriched with essential genes. We also provide evidence that viral proteins interact with ancestral MIGs that date back to unicellular organisms and are mainly involved in basic cellular functions such as cell cycle, cell division, and signal transduction. Our results suggest that MIG-Ps form a stable, evolutionarily conserved backbone that viruses putatively tap to invade and propagate in human host cells.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10810330 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad479 | DOI Listing |
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Article Synopsis
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