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Updated: Dec 31, 2025
14:59
Method for Measurement of Viral Fusion Kinetics at the Single Particle Level
Published on: September 7, 2009
13.3K
Herpesvirus membrane fusion - a team effort
Benjamin Vollmer1, Kay Grünewald1
1Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|January 15, 2020
Summary
Herpesviruses use essential glycoproteins like gD, gH, gL, and gB to fuse with host cells. This review details their functions, interactions, and modifications in viral entry.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Viral entry into host cells is crucial for infection.
- Membrane-enveloped viruses utilize surface glycoproteins for cell fusion.
- Herpesviruses possess a complex machinery of glycoproteins for entry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the functions of individual herpesvirus glycoproteins.
- To explore interactions among these glycoproteins.
- To examine the role of post-translational modifications in viral fusion.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of herpesvirus entry mechanisms.
- Analysis of structural and functional data of viral glycoproteins.
- Discussion of experimental findings on glycoprotein interactions and modifications.
Main Results:
- Herpes simplex virus 1 utilizes glycoproteins gD, gH, gL, and gB for entry.
- These glycoproteins form a multicomponent fusion machinery.
- Post-translational modifications significantly influence the fusion process.
Conclusions:
- Understanding herpesvirus glycoprotein functions is key to viral entry.
- Interactions and modifications are critical for efficient viral-cellular membrane fusion.
- This review synthesizes current knowledge on herpesvirus fusion mechanisms.
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