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Integrity of foot-and-mouth disease virions bound to the cells
1Shangai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shangai, People's Republic of China. yijianzhong@yahoo.com
Abstract:
In this study, we examined the integrity of Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) particles during their binding to the surface of BHK-21 cells under physiological condition. For monitoring of the virus integrity we used blocking of the endocytosis with dynasore and cytochalasin D followed by RT-PCR for viral protein VP1 and the resistance of FMDV to the treatment of RNase A. Our results showed that integrin binding to VP1 did not cause a substantial conformational change in the viral capsid. Furthermore, treatment with RNase A showed no effect on the infectivity of intact as well as cell-bound virions. Our findings confirmed that FMDV entered the host cells in the form of intact virions.
Insights
Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) remains intact when binding to host cells. This study confirms FMDV enters cells as whole, intact virions, unaffected by cellular binding or RNase A treatment.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a significant pathogen affecting livestock.
- Understanding FMDV entry mechanisms is crucial for developing effective control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural integrity of FMDV during cell binding.
- To determine if FMDV undergoes conformational changes upon interaction with host cells.
- To assess the infectivity of FMDV virions before and after cell binding.
Main Methods:
- Blocking endocytosis using dynasore and cytochalasin D.
- Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to detect viral protein VP1.
- Assessing FMDV resistance to RNase A treatment.
Main Results:
- Integrin binding to VP1 did not induce significant conformational changes in the FMDV capsid.
- FMDV virions maintained infectivity after RNase A treatment, irrespective of cell binding.
- Blocking endocytosis did not affect viral integrity.
Conclusions:
- FMDV enters host cells as intact virions.
- The viral capsid remains stable during the initial stages of host cell interaction.
- FMDV infectivity is not compromised by RNase A treatment or cell binding.
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