Vesicular stomatitis virus G protein transmembrane region is crucial for the hemi-fusion to full fusion transition.

ABSTRACT: Viral fusion proteins are essential for enveloped virus infection. These proteins mediate fusion between the virus envelope and host cellular membrane to release the viral genome into cells. Vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV G) protein is a typical type III viral fusion protein. To study the mechanism of VSV G protein mediated membrane fusion, we set up a cell-cell fusion system in which cells are marked by different fluorescent proteins. Taking advantage of this system, we performed real-time recording and quantitative analysis of the cell fusion mediated by VSV G. We found that the time scale required for VSV G mediated cell-cell fusion was approximately 1-2 minutes. Next, we specifically examined the function of the transmembrane (TM) region of VSV G protein in membrane fusion by replac

SUBMITTER: Ci Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6045571 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature