symbiont-mediated evasion of mRNA degradation by host via mRNA cap methylation
symbiont-mediated evasion of mrna degradation by host via mrna cap methylation
An innate immune response evasion mechanism in which a symbiont methylates the 2'-O-ribose of the first or second transcribed nucleotide of its mRNAs. Methylation allows evasion of the host innate immune response, which degrades cap0 (non-methylated) mRNAs. This mechanism of immune evasion is used by viruses.