Investigation of Ebola VP40 assembly and oligomerization in live cells using number and brightness analysis.

ABSTRACT: Ebola virus assembles and buds from the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, which is primarily attributed to its major matrix protein VP40. Oligomerization of VP40 has been shown to be essential to the life cycle of the virus including formation of virions from infected cells. To date, VP40 oligomerization has mainly been assessed by chemical cross-linking following cell fractionation studies with VP40 transfected cells. This has made it difficult to discern the spatial and temporal dynamics of VP40 oligomerization. To gain a better understanding of the VP40 assembly and oligomerization process in live cells, we have employed real-time imaging of enhanced green fluorescent protein tagged VP40. Here, we use both confocal and total internal reflection microscopy coupled

SUBMITTER: Adu-Gyamfi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3368128 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature