The viral transmembrane superfamily: possible divergence of Arenavirus and Filovirus glycoproteins from a common RNA virus ancestor.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies of viral entry proteins from influenza, measles, human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1), and Ebola virus have shown, first with molecular modeling, and then X-ray crystallographic or other biophysical studies, that these disparate viruses share a coiled-coil type of entry protein.


RESULTS
Structural models of the transmembrane glycoproteins (GP-2) of the Arenaviruses, lymphochoriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and Lassa fever virus, are presented, based on consistent structural propensities despite variation in the amino acid sequence. The principal features of the model, a hydrophobic amino terminus, and two antiparallel helices separated by a glycosylated, antigenic apex, are common to a number of otherwise disparate families of enveloped RNA viruses. Within the first amphipathic helix, demonstrable by circular dichroism of a peptide fragment, there is a highly conserved heptad repeat pattern proposed to mediate multimerization by coiled-coil interactions. The amino terminal 18 amino acids are 28% identical and 50% highly similar to the corresponding region of Ebola, a member of the Filovirus family. Within the second, charged helix just prior to membrane insertion there is also high similarity over the central 18 amino acids in corresponding regions of Lassa and Ebola, which may be further related to the similar region of HIV-1 defining a potent antiviral peptide analogue.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate a common pattern of structure and function among viral transmembrane fusion proteins from a number of virus families. Such a pattern may define a viral transmembrane superfamily that evolved from a common precursor eons ago.
Gallaher
W R
WR
Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, Neuroscience Center of Excellence and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA 70112-1393, USA. wgalla@lsuhsc.edu
DiSimone
C
C
Buchmeier
M J
MJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018050:Arenavirus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016563:Filoviridae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D006023:Glycoproteins