Minor electrostatic changes robustly increase VP40 membrane binding, assembly, and budding of Ebola virus matrix protein derived virus-like particles.

ABSTRACT: Ebola virus (EBOV) is a filamentous negative-sense RNA virus, which causes severe hemorrhagic fever. There are limited vaccines or therapeutics for prevention and treatment of EBOV, so it is important to get a detailed understanding of the virus lifecycle to illuminate new drug targets. EBOV encodes for the matrix protein, VP40, which regulates assembly and budding of new virions from the inner leaflet of the host cell plasma membrane (PM). In this work, we determine the effects of VP40 mutations altering electrostatics on PM interactions and subsequent budding. VP40 mutations that modify surface electrostatics affect viral assembly and budding by altering VP40 membrane-binding capabilities. Mutations that increase VP40 net positive charge by one (e.g., Gly to Arg or Asp to Ala) increase V

SUBMITTER: Motsa BB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11061732 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature