title: Membrane fusion induced by vesicular stomatitis virus depends on histidine protonation.
abstract: Entry of enveloped animal viruses into their host cells always depends on a step of membrane fusion triggered by conformational changes in viral envelope glycoproteins. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection is mediated by virus spike glycoprotein G, which induces membrane fusion at the acidic environment of the endosomal compartment. VSV-induced membrane fusion occurs at a very narrow pH range, between 6.2 and 5.8, suggesting that His protonation is required for this process. To investigate the role of His in VSV fusion, we chemically modified these residues using diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC). We found that DEPC treatment inhibited membrane fusion mediated by VSV in a concentration-dependent manner and that the complete inhibition of fusion was fully reversed by incubation of modified virus with hydroxylamine. Fluorescence measurements showed that VSV modification with DEPC abolished pH-induced conformational changes in G protein, suggesting that His protonation drives G protein interaction with the target membrane at acidic pH. Mass spectrometry analysis of tryptic fragments of modified G protein allowed the identification of the putative active His residues. Using synthetic peptides, we showed that the modification of His-148 and His-149 by DEPC, as well as the substitution of these residues by Ala, completely inhibited peptide-induced fusion, suggesting the direct participation of these His in VSV fusion.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquimica Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiana A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stauffer
authors.forename: Carla S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.forename: Andrea T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Da Poian
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000737:chemistry; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006639:Histidine / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019811:Hydroxylamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008081:Liposomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011522:Protons; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013997:Time Factors; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008081:Liposomes; C437127:O,O-diethylphosphorylcholine iodide; D010455:Peptides; D011522:Protons; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D019811:Hydroxylamine; D006639:Histidine; D000409:Alanine