Antiviral proteins are

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

s that are induced by human or animal cells to interfere with

viral replication Viral replication is the formation of biological viruses during the infection process in the target host cells. Viruses must first get into the cell before viral replication can occur. Through the generation of abundant copies of its genome an ...

. These proteins are isolated to inhibit the

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsk ...

from replicating in a host's cells and stop it from spreading to other cells. The

Pokeweed ''Phytolacca americana'', also known as American pokeweed, pokeweed, poke sallet, dragonberries, and inkberry, is a poisonous, herbaceous perennial plant in the pokeweed family Phytolaccaceae. This pokeweed grows . It has simple leaves on green ...

antiviral

and the Zinc-Finger antiviral protein are two major antiviral proteins that have undergone several tests for viruses, including

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

and influenza.

Pokeweed antiviral protein

Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) is a ribosome inactivating protein that provides

pokeweed ''Phytolacca americana'', also known as American pokeweed, pokeweed, poke sallet, dragonberries, and inkberry, is a poisonous, herbaceous perennial plant in the pokeweed family Phytolaccaceae. This pokeweed grows . It has simple leaves on green ...

plants protection against both viral and fungal infections. It also protects other types of plants that have genetically engineered to express RAP that do not normally do so. Recombinant PAP has also been proposed as a treatment of human diseases such as AIDS and cancer.

ZC3HAV1

ZAP (Zinc finger Antiviral Protein) is encoded by the ZC3HAV1 gene whose expression is induced by interferon and helps fight a number of viral infections including influenza.

IFITM3

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 ( IFITM3) inhibits the replication of number of enveloped RNA viruses including

influenza A '' A virus'' (''IAV'') causes influenza in birds and some mammals, and is the only species of the genus ''Alphainfluenzavirus'' of the virus family ''Orthomyxoviridae''. Strains of all subtypes of influenza A virus have been isolated from wild ...

and the Ebola and

Dengue Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic ...

viruses. Consequently pharmacological induction of IFITM3 potentially could be used to treat a number of viral infections.

Protein kinase R

Protein kinase R Protein kinase RNA-activated also known as protein kinase R (PKR), interferon-induced, double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, or eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-alpha kinase 2 (EIF2AK2) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by t ...

is interferon stimulated and activated either by

double-stranded RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydr ...

(occurring as an intermediate in RNA viruses replication) or by other proteins. It is able to phosphorylate the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2α thus inhibiting further cellular mRNA translation.

References

{{Reflist Proteins by function Antiviral drugs