The evolutionary dynamics between viral mimics and host proteins (opens in new tab)

Viral proteins interact with host proteins to hijack cellular pathways important for viral replication. Viral mimics are proteins whose structural similarity to host-mimicked proteins allows them to interact with mutual host targets. This mimicry poses a challenge for the host—how to avoid mimics without compromising essential interactions with host-mimicked proteins. Despite the prevalence of mimicry, the evolutionary dynamics between host and viral mimics remain largely unknown. We address ...