Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: April 17, 2017
Lipid rafts play an important role in the vesicular stomatitis virus life cycle
Abstract:
Lipid rafts are involved in the life cycle of many viruses. In this study, we investigated the role of lipids in the life cycle of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Cholesterol depletion by pretreatment of BHK cells or VSV particles with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD), a cholesterol-sequestering drug, inhibited the production of VSV dramatically. This effect was reversible, and virus production was restored by the addition of cholesterol, indicating that the reduction was caused by the loss of cholesterol in the cell membrane and virus, respectively. Cholesterol depletion at the adsorption stage also reduced the production of VSV significantly, but in contrast, only had a limited effect on virus production at the post-entry stage. Inhibition of sphingomyelin by myriocin treatment only showed a minor effect on VSV production. However, reduction of cholesterol and sphingomyelin at the same time dramatically reduced VSV production, showed a significant synergistic effect. These results suggest that lipid rafts play an important role in the life cycle of VSV.
More Related Videos
10:11Modeling The Lifecycle Of Ebola Virus Under Biosafety Level 2 Conditions With Virus-like Particles Containing Tetracistronic Minigenomes
Published on: September 27, 2014
06:02Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
Published on: September 13, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Membrane Fluidity
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Membrane Domains
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...
Rab Proteins
Rab proteins switch between a cytosolic, GDP-bound inactive state and a membrane-anchored, GTP-bound active state. By themselves, Rabs show slow rates of GDP/GTP exchange and GTP hydrolysis. Thus, Rab proteins are considered...
Rab Cascades