Precise Triggering and Chemical Control of Single-Virus Fusion within Endosomes
Sourav Haldar, Kenta Okamoto, Rebecca Dunning, Peter M. Kasson
Abstract
Many enveloped viruses infect cells via fusion to endosomes, but controlling this process within living cells has been challenging. We studied the fusion of influenza virus virions to endosomes in a chemically controllable manner. Extracting virus:endosome conjugates from cells and exogenously triggering fusion permits precise study of virus:endosome fusion kinetics. Surprisingly, endosomal curvature does not grossly alter fusion kinetics, although membrane deformability does. This supports a model for influenza virus entry where cells restrict or permit membrane fusion by changing deformability, for instance, using interferon-induced proteins.
Topics & Concepts
EndosomeLipid bilayer fusionBiologyFusionVirusCell biologyViral envelopeCell fusionMembrane curvatureVirologyFusion mechanismMembraneBiophysicsVesicleCellBiochemistryIntracellularLinguisticsPhilosophyinterferon and immune responsesInfluenza Virus Research StudiesViral Infections and Outbreaks Research