Functional properties of the fusion and attachment glycoproteins of Nipah virus

Nipah virus (NV) and Hendra virus (HV) are recently emergent, related viruses that can cause severe disease in humans and animals. The goal of this study was to investigate the immunogenic and functional properties of the fusion (F) and attachment (G) glycoproteins of NV. Vaccination of mice with recombinant vaccinia viruses (rVVs) expressing either the F (rVV/NV-F) or G (rVV/NV-G) proteins of NV induced neutralizing antibody responses to NV, with higher titers produced after vaccination with rVV/NV-G. When the homologous pairs of F and G proteins from either HV or NV were coexpressed in a transient expression system, fusion was detected in less than 12 h. An equivalent amount of fusion was observed when the heterologous pairs of F and G proteins from HV and NV were coexpressed. Membrane fusion was inhibited by antiserum from mice vaccinated with rVV/NV-G and rVV/NV-F. Therefore, as with other paramyxoviruses, the membrane glycoproteins of NV are the targets of neutralizing antibodies and membrane fusion mediated by NV requires the presence of both the F and the G proteins. Data from these biological assays support the taxonomic grouping of both HV and NV in the new genus, Henipavirus, within the family Paramyxoviridae.