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Papillomaviruses infect cells via a clathrin-dependent pathway
Patricia M Day1, Douglas R Lowy, John T Schiller
1Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Division of Basic Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 36, Room 1D-32, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Virology
|April 2, 2003
Summary
Papillomaviruses, like bovine papillomavirus (BPV), infect cells through a process called clathrin-dependent endocytosis. This pathway involves the virus entering the cell via specific receptors, though at a slower pace than typical cellular uptake.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Papillomaviruses are a significant group of viruses with implications for human and animal health.
- Understanding the precise mechanisms of viral entry into host cells is crucial for developing targeted antiviral strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the cellular pathway utilized by papillomaviruses for cell entry.
- To compare the entry mechanisms of different papillomaviruses and virus-like particles (VLPs).
Main Methods:
- Confocal microscopy was used to visualize the intracellular localization of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) virions and human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 VLPs.
- Pharmacological inhibitors targeting endocytic pathways (clathrin-dependent and caveolae-dependent) were employed to assess their effect on BPV infection.
- Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect BPV infection.
Main Results:
- BPV virions and VLPs, as well as HPV16 VLPs, exhibited similar entry patterns into mouse C127 cells.
- Intracellular colocalization studies indicated that BPV VLPs associate with markers of clathrin-dependent endocytosis (AP-2) and endosomes (transferrin receptor, Lamp-2).
- BPV infection was inhibited by chlorpromazine (clathrin inhibitor) and bafilomycin A (lysosomotropic agent), but not by filipin or nystatin (caveolae inhibitors).
Conclusions:
- Papillomaviruses, exemplified by BPV, infect cells through clathrin-dependent receptor-mediated endocytosis.
- The kinetics of BPV entry via this pathway are notably slower than typically observed for other ligands.