title: Timing is everything: Fine-tuned molecular machines orchestrate paramyxovirus entry.
abstract: The Paramyxoviridae include some of the great and ubiquitous disease-causing viruses of humans and animals. In most paramyxoviruses, two viral membrane glycoproteins, fusion protein (F) and receptor binding protein (HN, H or G) mediate a concerted process of recognition of host cell surface molecules followed by fusion of viral and cellular membranes, resulting in viral nucleocapsid entry into the cytoplasm. The interactions between the F and HN, H or G viral glycoproteins and host molecules are critical in determining host range, virulence and spread of these viruses. Recently, atomic structures, together with biochemical and biophysical studies, have provided major insights into how these two viral glycoproteins successfully interact with host receptors on cellular membranes and initiate the membrane fusion process to gain entry into cells. These studies highlight the conserved core mechanisms of paramyxovirus entry that provide the fundamental basis for rational anti-viral drug design and vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3500, United States. Electronic address: sayantan_bose@hms.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Sayantan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology and Program in Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Theodore S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jardetzky
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3500, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3500, United States. Electronic address: ralamb@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lamb
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D010252:Paramyxoviridae / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins
keywords: Atomic structure of viral glycoproteins; Fusion protein; Membrane fusion; Membrane glycoproteins; Paramyxovirus entry; Viral envelope proteins; Viral receptors