Identifying Caspases and their Motifs that Cleave Proteins During Influenza A Virus Infection

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection activates the caspases that cleave host and viral proteins, which, in turn, have pro- and antiviral functions. By employing inhibitors, RNA interference, site-directed mutagenesis, and western blotting and RT-qPCR techniques, caspases in infected mammalian cells that cleave host cortactin and histone deacetylases were identified.