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Flaviviruses: braking the entering

Theodore C Pierson1, Margaret Kielian

  • 1Viral Pathogenesis Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States. piersontc@mail.nih.gov

Current Opinion in Virology
|January 29, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Flaviviruses use envelope (E) proteins to attach to and enter host cells. Understanding E protein structure and function advances knowledge of virus entry, informing new antiviral strategies targeting this critical viral lifecycle step.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Flaviviruses are enveloped viruses characterized by surface envelope (E) proteins.
  • E proteins are crucial for viral attachment to host cells and mediating membrane fusion during entry.
  • The precise mechanism of flavivirus entry remains an active area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of flavivirus envelope (E) proteins in viral entry.
  • To explore how E protein structure and arrangement influence virus-cell interactions.
  • To identify potential antiviral strategies targeting the flavivirus entry pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Structural analysis of flavivirus E proteins at different stages of the entry process.
  • Studies on the cell biology of flavivirus entry and membrane fusion.
  • Investigation of inhibitors targeting cellular and viral entry mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Advances in understanding E protein structure and arrangement on the virion.
  • Improved insights into the choreography of E proteins during cell entry.
  • Demonstration of the potential of entry inhibitors as research tools.

Conclusions:

  • Knowledge of E protein structure and function is key to understanding flavivirus entry.
  • Targeting viral entry pathways offers promising avenues for antiviral drug development.
  • Inhibitors of entry processes can serve as valuable tools for studying viral lifecycles.

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