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Poxvirus membrane biogenesis

Bernard Moss1

  • 1Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.

Virology
|March 3, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Poxviruses form new membranes from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Studies of vaccinia virus mutants reveal direct connections between viral crescents and the ER, confirming a cellular origin for these membranes.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Poxviruses replicate in the cytoplasm, unlike most DNA viruses.
  • Early viral structures include crescents and immature virions with a unique membrane.
  • The origin of the poxvirus membrane was previously unclear, with a de novo synthesis suggested.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the origin of the poxvirus membrane.
  • To provide direct evidence for the cellular source of poxvirus membranes.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the abortive replication of vaccinia virus null mutants.
  • Utilized novel imaging techniques to visualize viral structures and their relationship with cellular organelles.

Main Results:

  • Observed direct continuity between viral crescents and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
  • Found accumulation of immature virions within the expanded ER lumen.
  • Provided the first direct evidence for a cellular origin of the poxvirus membrane.

Conclusions:

  • The poxvirus membrane originates from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
  • This finding resolves a long-standing question in poxvirus biogenesis.
  • Viral replication and membrane formation are linked to cellular membrane trafficking pathways.
Keywords:
Endoplasmic reticulumVaccinia virusViral membrane proteinsVirus morphogenesis

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