Antivirus zap skin#

The expression of the zinc-finger antiviral protein has been shown to inhibit and restrict several different viral infections, including viruses from the retrovirus, alphavirus, filovirus, and hepadnavirus families. Zinc-finger antiviral proteins in disease restriction Other diseases that may be characterized by ZNF functionality include congenital heart diseases and diabetes.

Antivirus zap skin#

It is important in the progression of cancer, including the initial formation of cancer, to its metastasis in a secondary site in the body, but it has also been found to be downregulated in its expression, which may inhibit tumor progression.Īdditionally, there is building evidence to suggest that ZNFs could play an important role in the inflammatory skin condition psoriasis. ZNFs have been implicated in several human diseases. ZNFs can interact with both DNA and RNA, as well as poly-ADP-ribose (PAR), among other proteins.

Image Credit: What is a zinc-finger (ZNF)?Ī zinc-finger is a protein structural motif that can be found in many proteins and possess a wide range of molecular functions, playing a role in the regulation of numerous cell processes.Ī zinc-finger protein features one or more zinc ions that stabilize the peptide fold by holding together its structural elements. Zinc-finger antiviral proteins (ZAP) are produced by both human and animal cells to stop the spread of viruses by targeting viral mRNA, which can lead to innate immune mechanisms against infections. Human cells are equipped with several mechanisms with which they can stem the spread of viral infections throughout the body.