title: The morphology and composition of influenza A virus particles are not affected by low levels of M1 and M2 proteins in infected cells.
abstract: We generated a recombinant influenza A virus (Mmut) that produced low levels of matrix (M1) and M2 proteins in infected cells. Mmut virus propagated to significantly lower titers than did wild-type virus in cells infected at low multiplicity. By contrast, virion morphology and incorporation of viral proteins and vRNAs into virus particles were similar to those of wild-type virus. We propose that a threshold amount of M1 protein is needed for the assembly of viral components into an infectious particle and that budding is delayed in Mmut virus-infected cells until sufficient levels of M1 protein accumulate at the plasma membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1124, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bourmakina
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Sastre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism*; D019065:Virus Assembly; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C488936:M1 protein, Influenza A virus; C488937:M2 protein, Influenza A virus; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins