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3) Coronavirus replication in the interplay of ER phagy, ER-associated degradation and translation

Coronavirus replication and the degradation processes ERAD and ER-phagy

The replication of coronaviruses (CoV) is structurally closely linked to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). CoV infection leads to accumulation of CoV proteins in the ER, which is accompanied by activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Through UPR, the cell attempts to restore homeostasis in the ER by increasing the capacity of the ER, decreasing the rate of translation, and increasing the degradation (ER-associated degradation (ERAD) and ER-phagy) of proteins. Transcriptome and proteome studies in CoV-infected cells identified deregulated components of these processes whose functional role in virus replication is still poorly understood. This project investigates the hypothesis that an interaction of CoV proteins with some of these factors is essential for CoV replication. A long-term goal is to identify new host cell factors as targets for antiviral therapy strategies.