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Updated: May 10, 2026
08:34
Highly Sensitive Assay for Measurement of Arenavirus-cell Attachment
Published on: March 2, 2016
Reovirus cell entry requires functional microtubules.
Bernardo A Mainou1, Paula F Zamora, Alison W Ashbrook
1Department of Pediatrics, Elizabeth B. Lamb Center for Pediatric Research, Vanderbilt Technologies for Advanced Genomics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
Mbio
|July 4, 2013
Summary
Microtubule-inhibiting drugs can block reovirus infection by disrupting viral disassembly and intracellular transport. This finding identifies microtubules as a novel drug target for reovirus and other viruses using the endocytic pathway.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Mammalian reovirus enters cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis, a process involving interactions with cell-surface glycans and β1 integrin.
- Reovirus undergoes stepwise disassembly within endosomes to release its core into the cytoplasm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify cellular mediators of reovirus infectivity using a small-molecule inhibitor screen.
- To investigate the role of microtubules in the reovirus life cycle and explore potential antiviral strategies.
Main Methods:
- Screening a library of small-molecule inhibitors for compounds that block reovirus-induced cytotoxicity.
- Assessing the effect of microtubule inhibitors on reovirus cell attachment, internalization, disassembly, and infectivity.
- Analyzing reovirus virion colocalization with microtubules and dynein 1 during entry.
Main Results:
- Several compounds impairing microtubule dynamics were found to dampen reovirus-induced cell killing.
- Microtubule inhibitors did not affect reovirus attachment or internalization but diminished viral disassembly kinetics and infectivity.
- Depolymerization of microtubules led to intracellular aggregation of reovirus particles, indicating impaired sorting.
Conclusions:
- Functional microtubules are essential for proper reovirus sorting after cellular internalization.
- Microtubule-inhibiting drugs represent a potential therapeutic strategy against reovirus infection.
- This study highlights microtubules as a novel drug target for pathogens utilizing the endocytic pathway.
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