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Updated: Aug 1, 2026
09:47
Simple and Robust in vivo and in vitro Approach for Studying Virus Assembly
Published on: March 1, 2012
Aggresomes resemble sites specialized for virus assembly
C M Heath1, M Windsor, T Wileman
1Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratories, Surrey GU24 0NF, United Kingdom.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|May 2, 2001
Summary
Large DNA viruses like African swine fever virus (ASFV) assemble in viral factories, which resemble cellular aggresomes. This suggests viruses exploit cellular machinery for protein aggregation to aid virus assembly.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Large DNA viruses, including African swine fever virus (ASFV), form viral factories for assembly near the nucleus.
- Cells also form aggresomes, perinuclear structures, in response to misfolded proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between viral factories and aggresomes.
- To compare ASFV-induced viral factories with cellular aggresomes.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of ASFV viral factories and cellular aggresomes.
- Localization studies relative to the microtubule organizing center.
- Assessment of microtubule dependency for structure assembly.
- Analysis of intermediate filament rearrangement (vimentin collapse).
- Investigation of mitochondrial and chaperone recruitment.
Main Results:
- Both viral factories and aggresomes localize near the microtubule organizing center.
- Assembly of both structures requires an intact microtubule network.
- Both structures induce vimentin collapse into cage-like formations.
- Mitochondria and cellular chaperones are recruited to both structures.
- ASFV viral factories exhibit significant resemblance to aggresomes.
Conclusions:
- ASFV viral factories share key characteristics with cellular aggresomes.
- Cytoplasmic DNA viruses may exploit the aggresome pathway to concentrate viral proteins for assembly.
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