Virus-receptor interactions of coxsackie B viruses and their putative influence on cardiotropism

Specific virus-receptor interactions are important determinants in the pathogenesis of viral infections, influencing the location and initiation of primary infection as well as the viral spread to other target organs in the postviremic phase. Coxsackieviruses of group B (CVB) specifically interact with at least two receptor proteins, the coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor (CAR) and the decay-accelerating factor (DAF), and cause a broad spectrum of diseases, including acute and chronic myocarditis. In the human heart, CAR is predominantly expressed in intercalated discs, regions of utmost importance for the functional integrity of the heart. Since DAF is abundantly expressed in epithelial an…

Viral Entry and Receptors

Surface-exposed Amino Acid Residues of HPV16 L1 Protein Mediating Interaction with Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate

Efficient infection of cells by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and pseudovirions requires primary interaction with cell surface proteoglycans with apparent preference for species carrying heparan sulfate (HS) side chains. To identify residues contributing to virus/cell interaction, we performed point mutational analysis of the HPV16 major capsid protein, L1, targeting surface-exposed amino acid residues. Replacement of lysine residues 278, 356, or 361 for alanine reduced cell binding and infectivity of pseudovirions. Various combinations of these amino acid exchanges further decreased cell attachment and infectivity with residual infectivity of less than 5% for the triple mutant, suggesting …

Generation and Applications of HPV Pseudovirions Using Vaccinia Virus

This chapter outlines the generation and application of human papillomavirus type 33 (HPV 33) pseudovirions. These pseudovirions are structurally indistinguishable from native virions and are therefore valuable tools for the study of papillomavirus/cell interactions. The method describes (1) the construction of vaccinia viruses recombinant for the major and minor HPV capsid proteins, L1 and L2, respectively, (2) the transfection of Cos7 cells with a marker plasmid replicating to high copy numbers, (3) the expression of L1 and L2 using the vaccinia virus expression system, (4) the extraction, purification, and analysis of HPV-33 pseudovirions, (5) pseudoinfection assays, (6) pre- and post-at…

Pseudovirions as Specific Tools for Investigation of Virus Interactions With Cells

This chapter outlines the generation and application of human papillomavirus type 33 (HPV33) pseudovirions. The method describes (1) the construction of vaccinia viruses recombinant for the major and minor HPV capsid proteins, L1 and L2, respectively; (2) the transfection of Cos7 cells with a marker plasmid replicating to high copy numbers; (3) the expression of L1 and L2 using the vaccinia virus expression system; (4) the extraction, purification, and analysis of HPV33 pseudovirions; and (5) their use in pseudoinfection assays. These pseudovirions are structurally indistinguishable from native virions and are therefore valuable tools for the study of papillomavirus-cell interactions. The m…

Analysis of the infectious entry pathway of human papillomavirus type 33 pseudovirions.

AbstractHuman papillomavirus type 33 (HPV-33) pseudovirus infection is a slow process dependent on the initial interaction with cell-surface heparan sulfate (T. Giroglou, L. Florin, F. Schafer, R. E. Streeck, and M. Sapp, 2001a, J. Virol. 75, 1565–1570). We have now further dissected the initial steps of pseudovirus uptake using removal of cell-surface proteoglycans and selective inhibition of entry pathways. Treatment of cells with heparinase I, but not with phosphoinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC), prevented binding of papillomavirus-like particles and infection with HPV-33 pseudovirions, indicating that GPI-linked proteoglycans (glypicans) are not required for productive infectio…

A membrane-destabilizing peptide in capsid protein L2 is required for egress of papillomavirus genomes from endosomes

ABSTRACT Papillomaviruses are internalized via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. However, the mechanism by which viral genomes pass endosomal membranes has not been elucidated. In this report we show that the minor capsid protein L2 is required for egress of viral genomes from endosomes but not for initial uptake and uncoating and that a 23-amino-acid peptide at the C terminus of L2 is necessary for this function. Pseudogenomes encapsidated by L1 and L2 lacking this peptide accumulated in vesicular compartments similar to that observed with L1-only viral particles, and these mutant pseudoviruses were noninfectious. This L2 peptide displayed strong membrane-disrupting activity, induced cytolys…

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans interact exclusively with conformationally intact HPV L1 assemblies: basis for a virus-like particle ELISA.

In this article, we demonstrate that interaction of human papillomavirus-like particles (HPV-VLPs) with the putative glucosaminoglycan binding receptor is strictly dependent on conformational integrity. Such conformations are present on VLPs and capsomeres but not on monomers of the major capsid protein, L1, confirming reports that capsomeres can induce virus-neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, we show the suitability of this specific interaction for development of VLP-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), using heparin for indirect coupling of VLPs to microtiter plates, which may add an intrinsic quality control. This avoids presentation of linear, often highly cross-reactiv…

Inhibition of Transfer to Secondary Receptors by Heparan Sulfate-Binding Drug or Antibody Induces Noninfectious Uptake of Human Papillomavirus

ABSTRACT Infection with various human papillomaviruses (HPVs) induces cervical cancers. Cell surface heparan sulfates (HS) have been shown to serve as primary attachment receptors, and molecules with structural similarity to cell surface HS, like heparin, function as competitive inhibitors of HPV infection. Here we demonstrate that the N , N ′-bisheteryl derivative of dispirotripiperazine, DSTP27, efficiently blocks papillomavirus infection by binding to HS moieties, with 50% inhibitory doses of up to 0.4 μg/ml. In contrast to short-term inhibitory effects of heparin, pretreatment of cells with DSTP27 significantly reduced HPV infection for more than 30 h. Using DSTP27 and heparinase, we fu…

DNA-induced structural changes in the papillomavirus capsid.

ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus capsid assembly requires intercapsomeric disulfide bonds between molecules of the major capsid protein L1. Virions isolated from naturally occurring lesions have a higher degree of cross-linking than virus-like particles (VLPs), which have been generated in eukaryotic expression systems. Here we show that DNA encapsidation into VLPs leads to increased cross-linking between L1 molecules comparable to that seen in virions. A higher trypsin resistance, indicating a tighter association of capsomeres through DNA interaction, accompanies this structural change.