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Filovirus entry into cells - new insights

Emily Happy Miller1, Kartik Chandran

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, United States.

Current Opinion in Virology
|March 27, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Filoviruses, like Ebola, use their surface glycoprotein (GP) to enter host cells. This review details the complex entry pathway, from attachment to membrane fusion and cytoplasmic delivery.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Filoviruses are a significant public health concern, known for causing severe hemorrhagic fevers.
  • Their unique filamentous morphology and complex replication cycle necessitate a detailed understanding of their entry mechanisms.
  • The viral surface glycoprotein (GP) is critical for initiating infection by mediating host cell entry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of the filovirus entry mechanism.
  • To highlight recent advancements in understanding GP-mediated viral entry.
  • To elucidate the complex interactions between filovirus GP and host cell factors during entry.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing research on filovirus entry.
  • It focuses on the structural and functional aspects of the filovirus glycoprotein (GP).
  • Analysis of host-pathogen interactions governing viral internalization and fusion.

Main Results:

  • Filovirus entry involves multiple, redundant interactions with cell-surface factors for attachment.
  • Virion internalization is mediated by a macropinocytosis-like process.
  • GP undergoes crucial structural rearrangements within the endo/lysosomal pathway, facilitated by host factors, to enable membrane fusion.

Conclusions:

  • The filovirus glycoprotein (GP) plays a central role in orchestrating a complex, multi-step entry process.
  • Understanding GP's interactions with host factors is key to deciphering filovirus pathogenesis.
  • This review consolidates current knowledge, paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies against filovirus infections.

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