title: Reovirus FAST proteins: virus-encoded cellular fusogens.
abstract: Reovirus fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins are the only known nonenveloped virus fusogens and are dedicated to inducing cell-to-cell, not virus-cell, membrane fusion. Numerous structural and functional attributes distinguish this novel family of viral fusogens from all enveloped virus membrane fusion proteins. Both families of viral fusogens play key roles in virus dissemination and pathogenicity, but employ different mechanisms to mediate membrane apposition and merger. However, convergence of these distinct families of viral membrane fusion proteins on common pathways needed for pore expansion and syncytium formation suggests syncytiogenesis represents a cellular response to the presence of cell-cell fusion pores. Together, FAST proteins and enveloped virus fusion proteins provide exceptional insights into the ubiquitous process of cell-cell membrane fusion and syncytium formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciechonska
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada. Electronic address: roy.duncan@dal.ca.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018165:Orthoreovirus / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins
keywords: cell–cell fusion; syncytium formation; viral membrane fusion proteins