Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Rapid, Seamless Generation of Recombinant Poxviruses using Host Range and Visual Selection
09:25

Rapid, Seamless Generation of Recombinant Poxviruses using Host Range and Visual Selection

Published on: May 24, 2020

Poxvirus host cell entry

Florian Ingo Schmidt1, Christopher Karl Ernst Bleck, Jason Mercer

  • 1Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Schafmattstr. 18, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.

Current Opinion in Virology
|March 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Poxviruses like vaccinia virus use macropinocytosis for cell entry. This review details differences in how mature virions (MVs) and extracellular virions (EVs) enter cells and fuse.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Cell Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Poxviruses are large, complex DNA viruses with a cytoplasmic life cycle.
  • They generate two infectious forms: mature virions (MVs) and extracellular virions (EVs).
  • Vaccinia virus serves as a model organism for studying poxvirus entry mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding poxvirus cell entry.
  • To compare and contrast the entry mechanisms of MVs and EVs.
  • To highlight differences in macropinocytosis activation and membrane fusion.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on poxvirus cell entry.
  • Comparative analysis of MV and EV internalization pathways.
  • Examination of molecular mechanisms governing viral fusion.

Main Results:

  • Both MV and EV entry depend on host cell macropinocytosis.
  • MV and EV entry differ in macropinocytosis triggering and fusion processes.
  • EVs require shedding an extra membrane, while MVs must overcome fusion inhibitors.

Conclusions:

  • Poxvirus entry is a complex process involving distinct mechanisms for MV and EV.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for developing antiviral strategies.
  • Recent research provides new insights into poxvirus-host cell interactions.

More Related Videos

Production of Pseudotyped Particles to Study Highly Pathogenic Coronaviruses in a Biosafety Level 2 Setting08:40

Production of Pseudotyped Particles to Study Highly Pathogenic Coronaviruses in a Biosafety Level 2 Setting

Published on: March 1, 2019

Vaccinia Virus Infection & Temporal Analysis of Virus Gene Expression: Part 307:35

Vaccinia Virus Infection & Temporal Analysis of Virus Gene Expression: Part 3

Published on: April 13, 2009

Related Concept Videos

Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a virus that...
What are Viruses?00:50

What are Viruses?

Overview
Antigen Presenting Cells01:22

Antigen Presenting Cells

The immune system is a complex network of cells and molecules that protects the body from foreign invaders. T cells, a type of white blood cell, play a crucial role in this process. They recognize and attack foreign substances, such as pathogens, that enter the body.
T cells require the help of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which process foreign antigens into smaller fragments that can be recognized by T cells. These APCs are highly specialized cells that efficiently internalize antigens...
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens

The immune system's response to viral infections is a complex and coordinated process involving natural killer (NK) cells, T cell-mediated responses, and antibody-mediated responses.
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Retroviruses02:33

Retroviruses

Retroviruses and retrotransposons both insert copies of their genetic elements into the genome of the host cell. Thus, the viral genes are passed on when the host genome is replicated or translated. A typical retroviral DNA sequence contains 3-4 genes that encode the different proteins required for its structural assembly and function as a molecular parasite. This DNA is transcribed into a single mRNA, which is very similar in structure to conventional mRNAs, i.e., it is capped at the 5’...