Mechanistic Role of TRIM26 in Viral Infection and Host Defense.

Tripartite motif protein 26 (TRIM26) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a member of the TRIM family. Similar to other TRIM proteins, TRIM26 consists of three domains, collectively termed RBCC: a Really Interesting New Gene (RING) domain, one B-Box domain, and a C terminal domain consisting of a PRY/SPRY domain. The PRY/SPRY domain exhibits relatively higher conservation compared with the RING and B-Box domains, suggesting potentially similar roles across TRIM26 proteins from various species. TRIM26 either directly interacts with viral proteins or modulates immune responses to engage with a viral infection, serving as either a protective or detrimental host factor depending on the circumvent of the viral infection. The present review focuses on understanding the mechanisms of TRIM26 during viral infection and its potential future applications.