Mechanism of altered cytoskeleton organization in influenza virus infection

We followed the autophosphorylation of cytoskeleton (CS) isolated from control chick embryo cell membranes (CS-C) and from these membranes after influenza virus adsorption (CS-V) under conditions allowing to determine the activity of a single type proteinkinase. The Ca2+ dependent calmodulin (CaM) kinase used different substrates from CS-V than did the c'AMP dependent proteinkinase. The catalytic subunit (c-subunit) of the c'AMP dependent proteinkinase added from outside phosphorylated the same polypeptides than the endogenous c'AMP dependent proteinkinase, the further being more active than the latter. The purified influenza virus incorporated 32P in the presence of the c-subunit only. Incubation of influenza virus with the c-subunit caused morphological changes visible by electron microscopy. The pleomorphy of the particles as well as their electron transmissibility were enhanced in result of structural alterations and rarefaction of surface spikes of the haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The contractibility of CS isolated from normal CEC and of the CS from CEC by 15 min postinfection (p.i.) was determined according to the actomyosin ATPase activity. The ATPase activity of the cytoskeleton in the presence of the Ca2+/CaM and that in the presence of c'AMP were used as controls. The virus as well as the Ca2+/CaM increased the ATPase activity. EGTA had no effect but did not interfere with virus stimulation, while c'AMP blocked the virus-induced enhancement of the ATPase activity.