Fusion of mApple and Venus fluorescent proteins to the Sindbis virus E2 protein leads to different cell-binding properties.

ABSTRACT: Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are widely used in real-time single virus particle studies to visualize, track and quantify the spatial and temporal parameters of viral pathways. However, potential functional differences between the wild type and the FP-tagged virus may specifically affect particular stages in the virus life-cycle. In this work, we genetically modified the E2 spike protein of Sindbis virus (SINV) with two FPs. We inserted mApple, a red FP, or Venus, a yellow FP, at the N-terminus of the E2 protein of SINV to make SINV-Apple and SINV-Venus. Our results indicate that SINV-Apple and SINV-Venus have similar levels of infectivity and are morphologically similar to SINV-wild-type by negative stain transmission electron microscopy. Both mutants are highly fluorescent and have excellen

SUBMITTER: Tsvetkova IB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3797254 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature