Envelope glycoproteins of hantavirus can mediate cell-cell fusion independently.
Hantaviruses (HTVs) are enveloped viruses and can induce low PH-dependent cell fusion. In this report we molecularly cloned viral glycoproteins (GPs) cDNA and nucleocapsid (NP) cDNA of two strains of Hantaan virus and one strain of Seoul virus and expressed in Vero E6 cells under control of a CMV promoter. The examinations of viral gene expressions were carried out by IFA and immune-precipitation. After treatment with low PH (PH 5.8) medium the syncytium were observed in the cells transfected with the GPs clones while in the cells transfected with the NP clones we did not find this phenomenon. Furthermore cotransfection of the NP and GPs did not enhance fusion activity. Treatment with anti-GP monoclonal antibodies could inhibit fusion activity whereas the antibodies against NP could not. These results indicated that GPs can mediate cell-cell fusion independently.
Zheng
Feng
F
Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
Ma
Lixian
L
Shao
Lihua
L
Wang
Gang
G
Chen
Fengzhe
F
Zhang
Ying
Y
Yang
Song
S
D000818:Animals; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D015870:Gene Expression; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000166:cytology; D018063:Hantaan virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029263:Seoul virus / Q000502:physiology*; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins