Vinnexin | |
---|---|
Identifiers | |
Symbol | Vinnexin |
InterPro | IPR039099 |
Vinnexin is a transmembrane protein whose DNA code is held in a virus genome. When the virus genome is expressed in a cell the vinnexin gene from the virus is made into a functioning protein by the infected cell. The vinnexin protein is then incorporated into the host's cell membranes to alter the way the hosts cells communicate with each other. The altered communication aids the transmission and replication of the virus in complex ways. The communication structure that the vinnexin is involved in is the gap junction and vinnexin forms part of a wider family of proteins that are innexin homologues referred to as pannexins.[1] So far Vinnexins have only been found in Adenovirus and the way they affect the functioning of innexins is being studied in great detail.[2]