Researchers at Northwestern Medicine found that poxviruses hijack the host's ribosomes to boost their protein production. Unlike previous beliefs that ribosomes simply decode mRNA, this study demonstrates they can also modify their structure to facilitate viral protein synthesis. By employing advanced techniques, scientists showed that although poxvirus infections do not change the ribosomal proteins' composition, they alter the ribosomal molecular structure, significantly enhancing the efficiency of poxvirus translation. Two specific ribosomal proteins were identified as critical regulators in this process.
"However, it is becoming clear that ribosomes can change in terms of structure and function, either through changes in their subunit composition or modifications."
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