Host cell machinery for gene expression

The term "host cell machinery for gene expression" encompasses the collective cellular components and molecular complexes responsible for the process of gene expression in eukaryotic cells. This includes the transcriptional machinery (RNA polymerases, transcription factors, chromatin remodelers), RNA processing factors (splicing, capping, polyadenylation), and the translation apparatus (ribosomes, tRNAs, elongation factors). Viruses and other intracellular pathogens often exploit this machinery to express their own genes at the expense of the host's normal cellular function, leading to cellular dysfunction and disease. Because this term denotes an entire system rather than a single druggable protein or receptor, it lacks the specificity required for typical therapeutic target classification.

Other names

Host transcriptional machineryHost translation machineryCellular gene expression machineryHost gene expression apparatus

Inhibitors of transcription (e.g., RNA polymerase inhibitors act on a component of this machinery); Inhibitors of translation (e.g., ribosome inhibitors); Viral inhibitors that disrupt host-pathogen interactions for gene expression.