title: Investigation of clade B New World arenavirus tropism by using chimeric GP1 proteins.
abstract: Clade B of the New World arenaviruses contains both pathogenic and nonpathogenic members, whose surface glycoproteins (GPs) are characterized by different abilities to use the human transferrin receptor type 1 (hTfR1) protein as a receptor. Using closely related pairs of pathogenic and nonpathogenic viruses, we investigated the determinants of the GP1 subunit that confer these different characteristics. We identified a central region (residues 85 to 221) in the Guanarito virus GP1 that was sufficient to interact with hTfR1, with residues 159 to 221 being essential. The recently solved structure of part of the Machupo virus GP1 suggests an explanation for these requirements.
authors.affiliation: USC Keck School of Medicine, 2011 Zonal Avenue, HMR502, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Magali E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Droniou-Bonzom
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reignier
authors.forename: Jill E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Oldenburg
authors.forename: Alex U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cannon
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006477:Arenaviruses, New World / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins