The 9b accessory protein facilitates the elongation of the mitochondria by initiating a sequence of events that begin with attaching a small molecule known as ubiquitin (a process known as ubiquitination) to the DRP1 protein (dynamin-like protein) and this essentially tags the DRP1 protein for degradation in the proteasome (protease complex responsible for protein degradation). The elongation of the mitochondria is a factor that may lead to the suppression and potential evasion of the innate response triggered by the host.