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Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Infection and Detection
Published on: February 7, 2019
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JC Polyomavirus Uses Extracellular Vesicles To Infect Target Cells
Jenna Morris-Love1,2, Gretchen V Gee1, Bethany A O'Hara1
1Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Mbio
|April 11, 2019
Summary
JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) uses extracellular vesicles (EVs) to infect brain cells, bypassing traditional receptors. This EV-mediated transmission is crucial for JCPyV spread in the central nervous system.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a severe neurodegenerative disease.
- JCPyV infection mechanisms in the brain are unclear, as target cells lack known viral receptors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alternative JCPyV infection pathways in the central nervous system.
- To determine if extracellular vesicles (EVs) facilitate JCPyV entry into target cells.
Main Methods:
- JCPyV association with EVs was analyzed.
- Infection rates of purified virus versus EV-associated virus were compared.
- The role of viral receptors and antisera in EV-mediated infection was assessed.
Main Results:
- JCPyV was found to associate with and be packaged within EVs.
- EV-associated JCPyV infected target cells independently of known receptors (LSTc).
- Antiviral antibodies and receptor-destroying enzymes did not inhibit EV-mediated JCPyV infection.
Conclusions:
- JCPyV utilizes EVs for transmission, offering a mechanism to overcome receptor limitations.
- EV-mediated infection is a critical pathway for JCPyV dissemination within the central nervous system.
- This study reveals a novel mode of polyomavirus transmission via EVs.
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