Posttranslational modifications of cellular proteins by covalent conjugation of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like polypeptides regulate numerous cellular processes that are captured by viruses to promote infection, replication, and spreading. The importance of these protein modifications for the viral life cycle is underscored by the discovery that many viruses encode deconjugases that reverse their functions. The structural and functional characterization of these viral enzymes and the identification of their viral and cellular substrates is providing valuable insights into the biology of viral infections and the host’s antiviral defense. Given the growing body of evidence demonstrating their key contribution to pathogenesis, the viral deconjugases are now recognized as attractive targets for the design of novel antiviral therapeutics.

中文翻译：

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病毒泛素和类泛素解结合——用于感染的瑞士军刀。

通过泛素和泛素样多肽的共价缀合对细胞蛋白进行翻译后修饰，调节许多被病毒捕获的细胞过程，以促进感染、复制和传播。许多病毒编码可逆转其功能的解结合酶的发现强调了这些蛋白质修饰对病毒生命周期的重要性。这些病毒酶的结构和功能特征及其病毒和细胞底物的鉴定为病毒感染的生物学和宿主的抗病毒防御提供了宝贵的见解。鉴于越来越多的证据表明它们对发病机制的关键贡献，病毒解偶联现在被认为是设计新型抗病毒疗法的有吸引力的靶标。