Virus Host Receptor Adhesion

Viral infection involves a large number of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between virus and its host. The complex process of metastasis involves the formation of migratory cells, the so called epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), which enables cancer cells to break loose from the primary tumor mass and to enter the bloodstream. To break loose from the primary cancer, cancer cells have to down-regulate the cell-to-cell adhesion molecuIes(CAMs) which keep them attached to neighboring cancer cells. Viruses are nanoscale entities containing a nucleic acid genome encased in a protein shell called a capsid and in some cases are surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane. As part of their entry and infection, viruses interact with specific receptor molecules expressed on the surface of target cells, Dominant forces acting at the nanoscale between nanoparticles are the electrostatic forces and the Van der Waals forces. Cell .Virus interaction can involve non-bonded interactions (electrostatic, Van der Waals, hydrophobic) compared to hydrogen bonding between the proteins (PPI results in higher flexibility in the backbone of a virus that allows it to move closer to the human receptor protein surface, and to bind stronger to the receptor (using non-bonded interactions).