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Cells Apr 2021Research on infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is currently restricted to BSL-3 laboratories. SARS-CoV2 virus-like particles (VLPs)...
Research on infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is currently restricted to BSL-3 laboratories. SARS-CoV2 virus-like particles (VLPs) offer a BSL-1, replication-incompetent system that can be used to evaluate virus assembly and virus-cell entry processes in tractable cell culture conditions. Here, we describe a SARS-CoV2 VLP system that utilizes nanoluciferase (Nluc) fragment complementation to track assembly and entry. We utilized the system in two ways. Firstly, we investigated the requirements for VLP assembly. VLPs were produced by concomitant synthesis of three viral membrane proteins, spike (S), envelope (E), and matrix (M), along with the cytoplasmic nucleocapsid (N). We discovered that VLP production and secretion were highly dependent on N proteins. N proteins from related betacoronaviruses variably substituted for the homologous SARS-CoV2 N, and chimeric betacoronavirus N proteins effectively supported VLP production if they contained SARS-CoV2 N carboxy-terminal domains (CTD). This established the CTDs as critical features of virus particle assembly. Secondly, we utilized the system by investigating virus-cell entry. VLPs were produced with Nluc peptide fragments appended to E, M, or N proteins, with each subsequently inoculated into target cells expressing complementary Nluc fragments. Complementation into functional Nluc was used to assess virus-cell entry. We discovered that each of the VLPs were effective at monitoring virus-cell entry, to various extents, in ways that depended on host cell susceptibility factors. Overall, we have developed and utilized a VLP system that has proven useful in identifying SARS-CoV2 assembly and entry features.
Topics: COVID-19; Coronavirus Envelope Proteins; HEK293 Cells; HeLa Cells; Humans; Nucleocapsid Proteins; SARS-CoV-2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; Viral Matrix Proteins; Virion; Virus Assembly; Virus Internalization
PubMed: 33918600
DOI: 10.3390/cells10040853 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... Jul 2020Viruses are highly ordered supramolecular complexes that have evolved to propagate by hijacking the host cell's machinery. Although viruses are very diverse, spreading... (Review)
Review
Viruses are highly ordered supramolecular complexes that have evolved to propagate by hijacking the host cell's machinery. Although viruses are very diverse, spreading through cells of all kingdoms of life, they share common functions and properties. Next to the general interest in virology, fundamental viral mechanisms are of growing importance in other disciplines such as biomedicine and (bio)nanotechnology. However, in order to optimally make use of viruses and virus-like particles, for instance as vehicle for targeted drug delivery or as building blocks in electronics, it is essential to understand their basic chemical and physical properties and characteristics. In this context, the number of studies addressing the mechanisms governing viral properties and processes has recently grown drastically. This review summarizes a specific part of these scientific achievements, particularly addressing physical virology approaches aimed to understand the self-assembly of viruses and the mechanical properties of viral particles. Using a physicochemical perspective, we have focused on fundamental studies providing an overview of the molecular basis governing these key aspects of viral systems. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Genome, Viral; Humans; Virion; Virus Assembly; Viruses
PubMed: 31960585
DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1613 -
Cell Host & Microbe Nov 2019Dengue virus assembly requires cleavage of viral C-prM-E polyprotein into three structural proteins (capsid, premembrane, and envelope), packaging of viral RNA with C...
Dengue virus assembly requires cleavage of viral C-prM-E polyprotein into three structural proteins (capsid, premembrane, and envelope), packaging of viral RNA with C protein into nucleocapsid, and budding of prM and E proteins into virions. The molecular mechanisms underlying these assembly events are unclear. Here, we show that dengue nonstructural protein 2A (NS2A protein) recruits viral RNA, structural proteins, and protease to the site of virion assembly and coordinates nucleocapsid and virus formation. The last 285 nucleotides of viral 3' UTR serve as a "recruiting signal for packaging" that binds to a cytosolic loop of NS2A. This interaction allows NS2A to recruit nascent RNA from the replication complex to the virion assembly site. NS2A also recruits the C-prM-E polyprotein and NS2B-NS3 protease to the virion assembly site by interacting with prM, E, and NS3, leading to coordinated C-prM-E cleavage. Mature C protein assembles onto genomic RNA to form nucleocapsid, followed by prM and E envelopment and virion formation.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Cell Line; Chlorocebus aethiops; Cricetinae; Dengue Virus; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Nucleocapsid; RNA Helicases; RNA, Viral; Serine Endopeptidases; Vero Cells; Viral Envelope Proteins; Viral Nonstructural Proteins; Viral Proteins; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 31631053
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.09.015 -
Microbiology and Immunology Oct 2019The family Flaviviridae comprises four genera, namely, Flavivirus, Pestivirus, Pegivirus, and Hepacivirus. These viruses have similar genome structures, but the genomes... (Review)
Review
The family Flaviviridae comprises four genera, namely, Flavivirus, Pestivirus, Pegivirus, and Hepacivirus. These viruses have similar genome structures, but the genomes of Pestivirus and Flavivirus encode the secretory glycoproteins E and NS1, respectively. E plays an important role in virus particle formation and cell entry, whereas NS1 participates in the formation of replication complexes and virus particles. Conversely, apolipoproteins are known to participate in the formation of infectious particles of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and various secretory glycoproteins play a similar role in HCV particles formation, suggesting that there is no strong specificity for the function of secretory glycoproteins in infectious-particle formation. In addition, recent studies have shown that host-derived apolipoproteins and virus-derived E and NS1 play comparable roles in infectious-particle formation of both HCV and pestiviruses. In this review, we summarize the roles of secretory glycoproteins in the formation of Flaviviridae virus particles.
Topics: Apolipoproteins; Flaviviridae; Flaviviridae Infections; Glycoproteins; Host Microbial Interactions; Humans; Virion; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 31342548
DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12733 -
ACS Synthetic Biology Nov 2022Virus-like particles (VLPs) have been used for numerous pharmaceutical applications, particularly vaccination and drug delivery. Recombinant adeno-associated virus...
Virus-like particles (VLPs) have been used for numerous pharmaceutical applications, particularly vaccination and drug delivery. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV), a leading candidate in gene therapy, has been proposed as a vaccine scaffold, but high production costs limit its use. Here we establish intracellular production of AAV VLPs in . VP3 capsid proteins of AAV serotype 5 (AAV5) were expressed, and VLPs were readily purified. The correct assembly was confirmed by ELISA with an intact-capsid AAV5 antibody and an AAVR domain as well as by atomic force microscopy. Biological functionality was demonstrated with a HeLa cell internalization assay. Coexpression of the assembly-activating protein (AAP) of AAV5 in improved capsid yield. This work provides the first evidence that AAV VLPs form in , opening new opportunities for production and exploration of AAV VLPs for biomedical applications.
Topics: Humans; Dependovirus; Escherichia coli; Virus Assembly; HeLa Cells; Capsid; Capsid Proteins
PubMed: 36279242
DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00451 -
Nature Communications Oct 2022Like other negative-strand RNA viruses (NSVs) such as influenza and rabies, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has a three-layered organization: a layer of matrix protein...
Like other negative-strand RNA viruses (NSVs) such as influenza and rabies, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has a three-layered organization: a layer of matrix protein (M) resides between the glycoprotein (G)-studded membrane envelope and the nucleocapsid, which is composed of the nucleocapsid protein (N) and the encapsidated genomic RNA. Lack of in situ atomic structures of these viral components has limited mechanistic understanding of assembling the bullet-shaped virion. Here, by cryoEM and sub-particle reconstruction, we have determined the in situ structures of M and N inside VSV at 3.47 Å resolution. In the virion, N and M sites have a stoichiometry of 1:2. The in situ structures of both N and M differ from their crystal structures in their N-terminal segments and oligomerization loops. N-RNA, N-N, and N-M-M interactions govern the formation of the capsid. A double layer of M contributes to packaging of the helical nucleocapsid: the inner M (IM) joins neighboring turns of the N helix, while the outer M (OM) contacts G and the membrane envelope. The pseudo-crystalline organization of G is further mapped by cryoET. The mechanism of VSV assembly is delineated by the network interactions of these viral components.
Topics: Animals; Glycoproteins; Nucleocapsid Proteins; RNA; RNA, Viral; Vesicular Stomatitis; Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus; Vesiculovirus; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 36216930
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33664-4 -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... Jan 2021Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proliferates by hijacking the host lipid machinery. In vitro replication systems revealed many aspects of the virus life cycle; in particular,... (Review)
Review
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proliferates by hijacking the host lipid machinery. In vitro replication systems revealed many aspects of the virus life cycle; in particular, viral utilization of host lipid metabolism during HCV proliferation. HCV interacts with lipid droplets (LDs) before starting the process of virus capsid formation at the lipid-rich endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane compartment. HCV buds into the ER via lipoprotein assembly and secretion. Exchangeable apolipoproteins, represented by apolipoprotein E (apoE), play pivotal roles in enhancing HCV-specific infectivity. HCV virions are likely to interact with other lipoproteins circulating in blood vessels and incorporate apolipoproteins as well as lipids. This review focuses on virus assembly and egress by briefly describing the recent advances in this area.
Topics: Apolipoproteins; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipoproteins; Virion; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 32122916
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a036814 -
Nature Chemical Biology Mar 2020Although viruses are extremely diverse in shape and size, evolution has led to a limited number of viral classes or lineages, which is probably linked to the assembly... (Review)
Review
Although viruses are extremely diverse in shape and size, evolution has led to a limited number of viral classes or lineages, which is probably linked to the assembly constraints of a viable capsid. Viral assembly mechanisms are restricted to two general pathways, (i) co-assembly of capsid proteins and single-stranded nucleic acids and (ii) a sequential mechanism in which scaffolding-mediated capsid precursor assembly is followed by genome packaging. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), which are revolutionizing structural biology, are central to determining the high-resolution structures of many viral assemblies as well as those of assembly intermediates. This wealth of cryo-EM data has also led to the development and redesign of virus-based platforms for biomedical and biotechnological applications. In this Review, we will discuss recent viral assembly analyses by cryo-EM and cryo-ET showing how natural assembly mechanisms are used to encapsulate heterologous cargos including chemicals, enzymes, and/or nucleic acids for a variety of nanotechnological applications.
Topics: Capsid; Capsid Proteins; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Crystallography, X-Ray; Models, Molecular; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Protein Conformation; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 32080621
DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0477-1 -
Current Opinion in Virology Feb 2022Understanding adenovirus assembly and disassembly poses many challenges due to the virion complexity. A distinctive feature of adenoviruses is the large amount of... (Review)
Review
Understanding adenovirus assembly and disassembly poses many challenges due to the virion complexity. A distinctive feature of adenoviruses is the large amount of virus-encoded proteins packed together with the dsDNA genome. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures are broadening our understanding of capsid variability along evolution, but little is known about the organization of the non-icosahedral nucleoproteic core and its influence in adenovirus function. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes the biomechanics of virus particles, while simultaneously inducing and monitoring their disassembly in real time. Synergistic combination of AFM with EM shows that core proteins play unexpected key roles in maturation and entry, and uncoating dynamics are finely tuned to ensure genome release at the appropriate time and place for successful infection.
Topics: Adenoviridae; Capsid; Capsid Proteins; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Viral Proteins; Virion; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 34906758
DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.11.006 -
The Enzymes 2021Although the process of genome encapsidation is highly conserved in tailed bacteriophages and eukaryotic double-stranded DNA viruses, there are two distinct packaging... (Review)
Review
Although the process of genome encapsidation is highly conserved in tailed bacteriophages and eukaryotic double-stranded DNA viruses, there are two distinct packaging pathways that these viruses use to catalyze ATP-driven translocation of the viral genome into a preassembled procapsid shell. One pathway is used by ϕ29-like phages and adenoviruses, which replicate and subsequently package a monomeric, unit-length genome covalently attached to a virus/phage-encoded protein at each 5'-end of the dsDNA genome. In a second, more ubiquitous packaging pathway characterized by phage lambda and the herpesviruses, the viral DNA is replicated as multigenome concatemers linked in a head-to-tail fashion. Genome packaging in these viruses thus requires excision of individual genomes from the concatemer that are then translocated into a preassembled procapsid. Hence, the ATPases that power packaging in these viruses also possess nuclease activities that cut the genome from the concatemer at the beginning and end of packaging. This review focuses on proposed mechanisms of genome packaging in the dsDNA viruses using unit-length ϕ29 and concatemeric λ genome packaging motors as representative model systems.
Topics: Bacteriophage lambda; DNA Packaging; DNA, Viral; Viral Genome Packaging; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 34861943
DOI: 10.1016/bs.enz.2021.09.006