Interactions moléculaires entre les ribonucléoprotéines des virus influenza de type A et la cellule hôte

The study of molecular interactions between viral components and cellular components have become a very active field of research during the recent years. At stake is a better understanding of the determinants of viral pathogenicity and zoonotic potential, and the identification of new therapeutic targets. The viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs), which are key components of the viral multiplication cycle and relatively conserved, are of particular interest. Various methodological approaches, including high-throughput screens, have been developed in order to identify cellular factors that are physically or functionally associated to vRNPs. The documented vRNP-host cell interactions are mainly related to the nucleocytoplamic trafficking of vRNPs, to the synthesis and maturation of viral RNAs, and not so expectedly, to the regulation of the innate immune response to viral infection. However, we are far from unraveling the complexity and dynamics of these interactions and from understanding which ones are most critical with respect to host-range.