Mechanisms that can contribute to the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of proteins in virus-infected cells. Schematic representation of global and specific mechanisms controlling protein localization (top panels). Viruses can affect the trafficking between the nucleus and the cytoplasm globally by targeting key proteins regulating the NPC, as is the case of Nup98 that is inhibited by enteroviral 2A proteases and VSV M (bottom left panel). Selective relocation often involves a loss or gain of posttranslation modifications in NLSs or NESs, altering the function of these motifs and promoting a nuclear or cytoplasmic localization of specific proteins (bottom central panel). Alternatively, viral RNA can function at spiderweb that sequesters shuttling proteins at the VROs (bottom right panel). Viral RNA is very abundant in infected cells, and its high local concentration could promote binding of RBPs, even in low-affinity ranges.
