title: Human herpesvirus-6 infection induces the reorganization of membrane microdomains in target cells, which are required for virus entry.
abstract: Cell-membrane raft microdomains are important for successful infection by several viruses. However, their role in the cell-entry process of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is unknown. Here we tested whether HHV-6 requires cell-membrane rafts for its entry. When cell-membrane rafts were disrupted by cholesterol depletion, target-cell entry by HHV-6 was inhibited, although the virus bound normally to the cells. HHV-6 infectivity was partially rescued by adding exogenous cholesterol. Interestingly, the HHV-6 cellular receptor, CD46, was found in the rafts after virus attachment, but not in the rafts of uninfected cells, indicating that HHV-6 infection induces the re-location of its receptor into the rafts. Furthermore, glycoprotein Q1, part of a viral glycoprotein complex that binds CD46, was also associated with rafts immediately after infection. These data suggest that cellular-membrane lipid rafts are important in viral entry and that HHV-6 may enter the target cells via the rafts.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology and Vaccinology, Division of Biomedical Research, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, 7-6-8, Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan.
authors.forename: Huamin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanishi
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein / Q000032:analysis; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D053585:Virus Attachment; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol