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Mechanisms of cell entry by influenza virus

K J Cross1, L M Burleigh, D A Steinhauer

  • 1National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK. kcross@nimr.mrc.ac.uk

Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine
|October 31, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Enveloped viruses use proteins in their outer lipid envelope to attach to and enter new host cells. Studying these viruses aids understanding of fundamental biological processes like cell binding and membrane fusion.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Many human and animal viruses possess a lipid envelope containing viral proteins.
  • This envelope is acquired during viral assembly and budding from the host cell membrane.
  • Envelope proteins are crucial for initiating new infections by mediating cell entry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the essential functions of viral envelope proteins in host cell binding and membrane fusion.
  • To understand the mechanisms by which enveloped viruses initiate infection.
  • To leverage enveloped viruses as model systems for studying fundamental biological processes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of viral assembly and budding processes.
  • Studies on viral envelope protein interactions with cell-surface receptors.
  • Investigation of viral and cellular membrane fusion mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Viral envelope proteins mediate specific binding to host cell receptors.
  • These proteins facilitate the fusion of viral and host cell membranes for genome delivery.
  • Enveloped viruses exhibit diverse strategies for cell entry.

Conclusions:

  • Viral envelope proteins are key determinants of infectivity, mediating both attachment and entry.
  • Enveloped viruses serve as valuable models for deciphering receptor-ligand interactions and membrane fusion.
  • Understanding these viral mechanisms provides insights into fundamental cellular processes.

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