Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Generation, Amplification, and Titration of Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Viruses
11:48

Generation, Amplification, and Titration of Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Viruses

Published on: April 4, 2019

15.8K

Respiratory syncytial virus entry mechanism in host cells: A general overview

C Cadena-Cruz1,2, J L Villarreal Camacho2, Marcio De Ávila-Arias1

  • 1División Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Norte Barranquilla, Barranquilla, Colombia.

Molecular Microbiology
|August 4, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) uses its G and F proteins to infect cells. Understanding these viral entry mechanisms is key to developing new antiviral therapies for RSV infections.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes significant acute respiratory infections in vulnerable populations like neonates and older adults.
  • Viral entry into host cells is mediated by specific viral proteins, including attachment glycoproteins and fusion proteins.
  • The fusion protein (F) of RSV is essential for viral entry, undergoing a transition from prefusion to postfusion conformation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and discuss the various types of viral fusion proteins.
  • To explore the potential entry mechanisms utilized by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
  • To provide insights for developing novel antiviral therapies against RSV.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of viral fusion proteins.
  • Analysis of RSV attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins.
  • Examination of the RSV host cell entry pathway.

Main Results:

  • RSV utilizes its G protein for initial attachment to host cell receptors, determining target cell susceptibility.
  • The RSV F protein, a type I fusion protein, transitions from a metastable prefusion to a postfusion form.
  • This conformational change facilitates the fusion of viral and host cell membranes, enabling viral entry.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of RSV entry is critical for therapeutic development.
  • Targeting the interactions of G and F proteins offers potential strategies for antiviral interventions.
  • Further research into viral fusion protein dynamics can lead to effective treatments for RSV infections.
Keywords:
endocytosisfusion proteinsmechanism of entryplasma membranerespiratory syncytial virusviral fusion

More Related Videos

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection09:01

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Published on: December 10, 2013

7.9K
Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus09:08

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Published on: July 27, 2021

3.8K

Related Concept Videos

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
5.1K
Retrovirus Life Cycles01:10

Retrovirus Life Cycles

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
46.2K
Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis01:23

Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis

Cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive disorder, significantly affects the function of exocrine glands. This genetically inherited disease is characterized by the production of thick and sticky mucus, which can severely affect various organs and systems in the body.
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation,...
281
Retroviruses02:33

Retroviruses

Retroviruses and retrotransposons both insert copies of their genetic elements into the genome of the host cell. Thus, the viral genes are passed on when the host genome is replicated or translated. A typical retroviral DNA sequence contains 3-4 genes that encode the different proteins required for its structural assembly and function as a molecular parasite. This DNA is transcribed into a single mRNA, which is very similar in structure to conventional mRNAs, i.e., it is capped at the 5’...
12.4K
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a...
2.9K
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis01:20

Receptor-mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis is when bulk amounts of specific molecules are imported into a cell after binding to cell surface receptors. The molecules bound to these receptors are taken into the cell through inward folding of the cell surface membrane, which is eventually pinched off into a vesicle within the cell. Structural proteins, such as clathrin, coat the budding vesicle.
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis of LDL
One well-characterized example of receptor-mediated endocytosis is the...
6.2K