Enigmatic origin of the poxvirus membrane from the endoplasmic reticulum shown by 3D imaging of vaccinia virus assembly mutants.

ABSTRACT: The long-standing inability to visualize connections between poxvirus membranes and cellular organelles has led to uncertainty regarding the origin of the viral membrane. Indeed, there has been speculation that viral membranes form de novo in cytoplasmic factories. Another possibility, that the connections are too short-lived to be captured by microscopy during a normal infection, motivated us to identify and characterize virus mutants that are arrested in assembly. Five conserved vaccinia virus proteins, referred to as Viral Membrane Assembly Proteins (VMAPs), that are necessary for formation of immature virions were found. Transmission electron microscopy studies of two VMAP deletion mutants had suggested retention of connections between viral membranes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)

SUBMITTER: Weisberg AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5754806 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature