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Measles virus assembly within membrane rafts

S Vincent1, D Gerlier, S N Manié

  • 1Immunité & Infections Virales, VPV, CNRS-UCBL UMR 5537, Faculté de Médecine Lyon RTH Laennec, 69372 Lyon Cedex 08, France.

Journal of Virology
|October 12, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Measles virus (MV) proteins M and N, along with envelope glycoproteins, concentrate in membrane rafts. Viral genome presence is crucial for internal MV protein assembly into rafts.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Measles virus (MV) replication involves specific protein localization within host cell membranes.
  • Membrane rafts, cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich microdomains, play roles in viral assembly and budding.
  • Previous studies indicated partial localization of MV proteins and glycoproteins in membrane rafts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the precise localization and requirements for measles virus protein and glycoprotein enrichment in membrane rafts.
  • To elucidate the role of the viral genome and protein interactions in raft association during MV assembly.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of MV-infected cells and virus particles using cold Triton X-100 solubilization and sucrose gradient flotation.
  • Expression and co-expression of individual and combinations of MV proteins (M, N, P, L) and glycoproteins (H, F) in cells.
  • Infection of cells with a chimeric MV (MGV) expressing vesicular stomatitis virus G protein instead of H and F.

Main Results:

  • Approximately half of internal MV proteins (M, N) and envelope glycoproteins (H, F) are enriched in membrane rafts.
  • Isolated rafts from infected cells contain all MV components and are infectious.
  • M and N proteins showed enrichment in rafts during MGV infection, while G protein did not, suggesting genome dependence.
  • F glycoprotein intrinsically partitions into rafts; H glycoprotein is recruited to rafts when co-expressed with F, but not with M or N.

Conclusions:

  • Measles virus assembly into membrane rafts involves colocalization and association of viral envelope components and the ribonucleoprotein complex.
  • The presence of the measles virus genome is essential for the raft assembly of internal viral proteins.
  • Specific glycoproteins (F) have intrinsic raft-targeting ability, while others (H) are recruited through interactions.

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