Neurovirulent Murine Coronavirus JHM.SD Uses Cellular Zinc Metalloproteases for Virus Entry and Cell-Cell Fusion.

ABSTRACT: The coronavirus (CoV) S protein requires cleavage by host cell proteases to mediate virus-cell and cell-cell fusion. Many strains of the murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) have distinct, S-dependent organ and tissue tropisms despite using a common receptor, suggesting that they employ different cellular proteases for fusion. In support of this hypothesis, we found that inhibition of endosomal acidification only modestly decreased entry, and overexpression of the cell surface protease TMPRSS2 greatly enhanced entry, of the highly neurovirulent MHV strain JHM.SD relative to their effects on the reference strain, A59. However, TMPRSS2 overexpression decreased MHV structural protein expression, release of infectious particles, and syncytium formation, and endogenous serine protease

SUBMITTER: Phillips JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5375694 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature