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Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
09:08

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Published on: July 27, 2021

Dynamics of filamentous viral RNPs prior to egress

Philip J Santangelo1, Gang Bao

  • 1Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. philip.santangelo@bme.gatech.edu

Nucleic Acids Research
|May 9, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Researchers visualized human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) filament budding using fluorescent probes. They identified three motion types and proposed a model for viral filament egress from host cells.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Paramyxoviruses, orthomyxoviruses, and other viral families mature via nucleocapsid budding through the host plasma membrane.
  • Medically significant viruses like influenza, parainfluenza, RSV, and Ebola can form filamentous particles during budding.
  • The precise mechanisms of filamentous virion budding from the plasma membrane are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamics of viral filament formation and egress from the host plasma membrane.
  • To elucidate the motion patterns of assembled viral filaments prior to release.
  • To develop a model for filamentous virion egress based on observed vRNA dynamics and cellular interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized molecular beacon (MB)-fluorescent probes to image viral genomic RNA (vRNA) of human RSV (hRSV) in live Vero cells.
  • Observed and characterized vRNA dynamics, including 3D distribution and motion patterns.
  • Investigated vRNA/Myosin Va colocalization and the effects of cytochalasin D (actin depolymerizing agent) exposure.

Main Results:

  • Identified three primary motion types of assembled viral filaments before plasma membrane egress: projection/rotation, migration, and non-directed motion.
  • Characterized the 3D distribution and dynamic behavior of cellular vRNA.
  • Provided evidence for the involvement of cellular actin and Myosin Va in the egress process.

Conclusions:

  • A novel model for filamentous virion egress from the host plasma membrane has been presented.
  • The study reveals key insights into the dynamic processes governing the budding of filamentous viruses like hRSV.
  • Understanding these mechanisms can inform strategies against medically important filamentous viruses.

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