Using viruses to find the cellular Achilles heel
Back-to-back studies from researchers at the Gladstone Institutes have exposed new battle tactics employed by two deadly viruses: hepatitis C (HCV) and the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Published in the January 22 issue of Molecular Cell, the investigators created full protein interaction maps—interactomes—of where the viruses come into contact with the host proteins during the course of infection. Through these protein interactions, the scientists not only gained insight into the viruses, they also uncovered a common set of host proteins that are targeted by various infections. Their results suggest that these proteins and the cellular processes they govern are the most crucial—in effect, the collective Achilles heel—for both the human body and its viral invaders.