Studying Coronavirus–Host Protein Interactions

To understand the molecular mechanisms of viral replication and pathogenesis, it is necessary to establish the virus-host protein interaction networks. The yeast two-hybrid system is a powerful proteomic approach to study protein-protein interactions. After the identification of specific cellular factors interacting with the target viral protein using the yeast two-hybrid screening system, co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy analyses are often used to verify the virus-host protein interactions in cells. Identification of the cellular factors required for viral survival or eliminating virus infected cells could help scientists develop more effective antiviral drugs. Here we summarize a standard protocol used in our lab to study the coronavirus-host protein interactions, including yeast two-hybrid screening, co-immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses.