Viral protein involved in inhibiting host transcription to ensure the shutoff of cellular proteins expression and give virus transcripts a competitive edge for access to the cellular translation machinery. Preventing the expression of host proteins is also a strategy to counteract the antiviral response. Inhibition of transcription can be performed by interfering with host RNA pol-II function or interfering with general transcription factors.

› Biological process

› suppression by virus of host transcription [ GO:0039653 ]