title: Peptides derived from the heptad repeat region near the C-terminal of Sendai virus F protein bind the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase ectodomain.
abstract: Previously, we showed that Sendai virus fusion protein (F) acts as an inhibitor of neuraminidase activity of hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein. Here we report that synthetic peptides derived from the heptad repeat region proximal to the transmembrane domain (HR2) of Sendai virus F inhibit fusion and enhance the enzymatic activity of the HN. This occurs on the virus-bound HN and on its soluble globular head. The enhancing effect on virus-bound HN is reversible and depends on the presence of F. The data indicate that, by binding to the HN ectodomain, the HR2 peptides abolish the F inhibition of HN and disrupt the communication between the F and HN essential to promote virus-cell fusion.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Biologia Cellulare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. m.tomasi@iss.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomasi
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pasti
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manfrinato
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dallocchio
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bellini
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D015707:HN Protein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008954:Models, Biological; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid; D029082:Sendai virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015707:HN Protein; D010455:Peptides; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins