title: The role of myristoylation in the membrane association of the Lassa virus matrix protein Z.
abstract: The Z protein is the matrix protein of arenaviruses and has been identified as the main driving force for budding. Both LCMV and Lassa virus Z proteins bud from cells in the absence of other viral proteins as enveloped virus-like particles. Z accumulates near the inner surface of the plasma membrane where budding takes place. Furthermore, biochemical data have shown that Z is strongly membrane associated. The primary sequence of Z lacks a typical transmembrane domain and until now it is not understood by which mechanism Z is able to interact with cellular membranes. In this report, we analyzed the role of N-terminal myristoylation for the membrane binding of Lassa virus Z. We show that disruption of the N-terminal myristoylation signal by substituting the N-terminal glycine with alanine (Z-G2A mutant) resulted in a significant reduction of Z protein association with cellular membranes. Furthermore, removal of the myristoylation site resulted in a relocalization of Z from a punctuate distribution to a more diffuse cellular distribution pattern. Finally, treatment of Lassa virus-infected cells with various myristoylation inhibitors drastically reduced efficient Lassa virus replication. Our data indicate that myristoylation of Z is critical for its binding ability to lipid membranes and thus, for effective virus budding.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Virologie der Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str, 3, 35037 Marburg, Germany. strecker@staff.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maisa
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daffis
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Garten
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006801:Humans; D007836:Lassa virus / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D019814:Myristic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D021381:Protein Transport; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014709:Vero Cells; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C487631:protein Z, Lassa virus; D019814:Myristic Acid