Small hydrophobic protein (SH protein) (SH)

The Small hydrophobic protein (SH protein) is a short, single-pass transmembrane protein encoded by viruses in the Paramyxoviridae and Pneumoviridae families, most notably Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV) and Mumps virus. It functions as a viroporin, forming pentameric homooligomers that act as ion channels to modulate host cell membrane permeability and disrupt cellular ion homeostasis. Beyond its channel activity, the SH protein plays a significant role in viral pathogenesis by inhibiting host cell apoptosis and suppressing innate immune responses, such as TNF-alpha signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Although the protein is often non-essential for viral replication in cell culture, its absence leads to marked viral attenuation in animal models, highlighting its importance as a critical virulence factor. Consequently, the SH protein is considered a promising therapeutic target for the development of novel antiviral drugs aimed at treating severe respiratory infections and other viral diseases.

Other names

SH proteinViroporin SHRSV SH proteinMumps SH proteinSmall hydrophobic viral protein

Ion channel inhibition and viroporin blockade