scholarly journals Intracellular host cell membrane remodelling induced by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in vitro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucio Ayres Caldas ◽  
Fabiana Avila Carneiro ◽  
Fabio Luis Monteiro ◽  
Ingrid Augusto ◽  
Luiza Mendonça Higa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Host Cell Membrane

scholarly journals Mechanisms of phosphatidylserine influence on viral production: a computational model of Ebola virus matrix protein assembly

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Liu ◽  
Ethan J Pappas ◽  
Monica L Husby ◽  
Robert V Stahelin ◽  
Elsje Pienaar
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Matrix Protein ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Matrix Assembly ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Western Africa

Ebola virus (EBOV) infections continue to pose a global public health threat, with high mortality rates and sporadic outbreaks in Central and Western Africa. A quantitative understanding of the key processes driving EBOV assembly and budding could provide valuable insights to inform drug development. Here we used a computational model to evaluate EBOV matrix assembly. Our model focused on the assembly kinetics of VP40, the matrix protein in EBOV, and its interaction with phosphatidylserine (PS) in the host cell membrane. Human cells transfected with VP40-expressing plasmids are capable of producing virus-like particles (VLPs) that closely resemble EBOV virions. We used data from this in vitro VP40 system to calibrate our computational model. PS levels in the host cell membrane had been shown to affect VP40 dynamics as well as VLP production through recruiting VP40 dimers to plasma membrane inner leaflet. Our computational results indicated that PS may have direct influence on VP40 filament growth and affect multiple steps in the assembly and budding of VP40 VLPs. We also proposed that the assembly of VP40 filaments may follow the nucleation-elongation theory where initialization and oligomerization of VP40 are two separate and distinct steps in the assembly process. This work illustrated how computational and experimental approaches can be combined to allow for additional analysis and hypothesis generation. Our findings advanced understanding of the molecular process of EBOV assembly and budding processes and may help the development of new EBOV treatments targeting VP40 matrix assembly.

scholarly journals Statin Drug Therapy May Increase COVID-19 Infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 326-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjaya Kumar Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Mevalonate Pathway ◽  
No Production ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Enveloped Viruses ◽  
Receptor Mediated Endocytosis ◽  
Key Enzyme ◽  
Statin Drug

Enveloped viruses like Coronavirus acquire their envelope from the host cell membrane which is a bilayer of phospholipid interspersed with cholesterol molecules and proteins. Viruses enter their host cell by coming in contact with their specific receptors. Experiments have shown that when cell membranes are depleted of cholesterol in vitro by Methyl beta cyclodextrin (MβCD) these Coronaviruses are not able to enter the host cell membrane by the process of receptor mediated endocytosis. Statin inhibits HMG Co-A reductase, a key enzyme in the Mevalonate pathway resulting into either very low or no production of endogenous cholesterol by the human cells. This results into upregulation of LDL-R in the cell membrane which may lead to more cholesterol getting incorporated into the cell membrane through LDL-C from the plasma creating greater number of lipid rafts suitable for entry of enveloped viruses by receptor-mediated endocytosis.

New permeability pathways induced by the malarial parasite in the membrane of its host erythrocyte: Potential routes for targeting of drugs into infected cells

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 455-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hagai Ginsburg ◽  
Wilfred D. Stein
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Malarial Parasite ◽  
Structural Defects ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
New Permeability Pathways

Malarial parasites propagate asexually inside the erythrocytes of their vertebrate host. Six hours after invasion, the permeability of the host cell membrane to anions and small nonelectrolytes starts to increase and reaches its peak as the parasite matures. This increased permeability differs from the native transport systems of the normal erythrocyte in its solute selectivity pattern, its enthalpy of activation and its susceptibility to inhibitors, suggesting the appearance of new transport pathways. A biophysical analysis of the permeability data indicates that the selectivity barrier discriminates between permeants according to their hydrogen bonding capacity and has solubilization properties compared to those of iso-butanol. The new permeability pathways could result from structural defects caused in the host cell membrane by the insertion of parasite-derived polypeptides. It is suggested that the unique transport properties of the new pathways be used to target drugs into infected cells, to affect the parasite either directly or through the modulation of the intraerythrocytic environment. The feasibility of drug targeting is demonstrated in in vitro cultures of the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

scholarly journals Exaptation of Retroviral Syncytin for Development of Syncytialized Placenta, Its Limited Homology to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Arguments against Disturbing Narrative in the Context of COVID-19 Vaccination

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Kloc ◽  
Ahmed Uosef ◽  
Jacek Z. Kubiak ◽  
Rafik M. Ghobrial
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Envelope Glycoprotein ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
Mammalian Evolution ◽  
Trophoblast Cells ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Uterine Endometrium

Human placenta formation relies on the interaction between fused trophoblast cells of the embryo with uterine endometrium. The fusion between trophoblast cells, first into cytotrophoblast and then into syncytiotrophoblast, is facilitated by the fusogenic protein syncytin. Syncytin derives from an envelope glycoprotein (ENV) of retroviral origin. In exogenous retroviruses, the envelope glycoproteins coded by env genes allow fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane and entry of the virus into a host cell. During mammalian evolution, the env genes have been repeatedly, and independently, captured by various mammalian species to facilitate the formation of the placenta. Such a shift in the function of a gene, or a trait, for a different purpose during evolution is called an exaptation (co-option). We discuss the structure and origin of the placenta, the fusogenic and non-fusogenic functions of syncytin, and the mechanism of cell fusion. We also comment on an alleged danger of the COVID-19 vaccine based on the presupposed similarity between syncytin and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

scholarly journals The Photorhabdus asymbiotica virulence cassettes deliver protein effectors directly into target eukaryotic cells

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Vlisidou ◽  
Alexia Hapeshi ◽  
Joseph RJ Healey ◽  
Katie Smart ◽  
Guowei Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Rho Gtpase ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Host Cell Membrane ◽  
Western Blots ◽  
Insect Pathogen ◽  
Protein Toxins ◽  
Delivery Mechanism

Photorhabdus is a highly effective insect pathogen and symbiont of insecticidal nematodes. To exert its potent insecticidal effects, it elaborates a myriad of toxins and small molecule effectors. Among these, the Photorhabdus Virulence Cassettes (PVCs) represent an elegant self-contained delivery mechanism for diverse protein toxins. Importantly, these self-contained nanosyringes overcome host cell membrane barriers, and act independently, at a distance from the bacteria itself. In this study, we demonstrate that Pnf, a PVC needle complex associated toxin, is a Rho-GTPase, which acts via deamidation and transglutamination to disrupt the cytoskeleton. TEM and Western blots have shown a physical association between Pnf and its cognate PVC delivery mechanism. We demonstrate that for Pnf to exert its effect, translocation across the cell membrane is absolutely essential.

scholarly journals Membrane and luminal proteins reach the apicoplast by different trafficking pathways in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Chaudhari ◽  
Vishakha Dey ◽  
Aishwarya Narayan ◽  
Shobhona Sharma ◽  
Swati Patankar
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
G Protein ◽  
Secretory Pathway ◽  
Protein Targeting ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Host Cell Membrane

The secretory pathway in Plasmodium falciparum has evolved to transport proteins to the host cell membrane and to an endosymbiotic organelle, the apicoplast. The latter can occur via the ER or the ER-Golgi route. Here, we study these three routes using proteins Erythrocyte Membrane Protein-1 (PfEMP1), Acyl Carrier Protein (ACP) and glutathione peroxidase-like thioredoxin peroxidase (PfTPxGl) and inhibitors of vesicular transport. As expected, the G protein dependent vesicular fusion inhibitor AlF4- and microtubule destabilizing drug vinblastine block the trafficking of PfEMP-1, a protein secreted to the host cell membrane. However, while both PfTPxGl and ACP are targeted to the apicoplast, only ACP trafficking remains unaffected by these treatments. This implies that G-protein dependent vesicles do not play a role in classical apicoplast protein targeting. Unlike the soluble protein ACP, we show that PfTPxGl is localized to the outermost membrane of the apicoplast. Thus, the parasite apicoplast acquires proteins via two different pathways: first, the vesicular trafficking pathway appears to handle not only secretory proteins, but an apicoplast membrane protein, PfTPxGl. Second, trafficking of apicoplast luminal proteins appear to be independent of G-protein coupled vesicles.

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