Characterization of the envelope glycoprotein of a novel filovirus, Lloviu virus

Junki Maruyama, Hiroko Miyamoto, Masahiro Kajihara, Hirohito Ogawa, Ken Maeda, Yoshihiro Sakoda, Reiko Yoshida, Ayato Takada

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lloviu virus (LLOV), a novel filovirus detected in bats, is phylogenetically distinct from viruses in the genera Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus in the family Filoviridae. While filoviruses are known to cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and/or nonhuman primates, LLOV is biologically uncharacterized, since infectious LLOV has never been isolated. To examine the properties of LLOV, we characterized its envelope glycoprotein (GP), which likely plays a key role in viral tropism and pathogenicity. We first found that LLOV GP principally has the same primary structure as the other filovirus GPs. Similar to the other filoviruses, virus-like particles (VLPs) produced by transient expression of LLOV GP, matrix protein, and nucleoprotein in 293T cells had densely arrayed GP spikes on a filamentous particle. Mouse antiserum to LLOV VLP was barely cross-reactive to viruses of the other genera, indicating that LLOV is serologically distinct from the other known filoviruses. For functional study of LLOV GP, we utilized a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudotype system and found that LLOV GP requires low endosomal pH and cathepsin L, and that human C-type lectins act as attachment factors for LLOV entry into cells. Interestingly, LLOV GP-pseudotyped VSV infected particular bat cell lines more efficiently than viruses bearing other filovirus GPs. These results suggest that LLOV GP mediates cellular entry in a manner similar to that of the other filoviruses while showing preferential tropism for some bat cells.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)99-109
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of virology
Volume88
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2014
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Insect Science
  • Virology

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