Suppression of NF-κB Activity: A Viral Immune Evasion Mechanism

Nuclear factor-B (NF-B) is an important transcription factor that induces the expression of antiviral genes and viral genes. NF-B activation needs the activation of NF-B upstream molecules, which include receptors, adaptor proteins, NF-B (IB) kinases (IKKs), IB, and NF-B dimer p50/p65. To survive, viruses have evolved the capacity to utilize various strategies that inhibit NF-B activity, including targeting receptors, adaptor proteins, IKKs, IB, and p50/p65. To inhibit NF-B activation, viruses encode several specific NF-B inhibitors, including NS3/4, 3C and 3C-like proteases, viral deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), phosphodegron-like (PDL) motifs, viral protein phosphatase (PPase)-binding proteins, and small hydrophobic (SH) proteins. Finally, we briefly describe the immune evasion mechanism of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) by inhibiting NF-B activity in productive and latent infections. This paper reviews a viral mechanism of immune evasion that involves the suppression of NF-B activation to provide new insights into and references for the control and prevention of viral diseases.