The protease-sensitive loop of the vesicular stomatitis virus matrix protein is involved in virus assembly and protein translation

Chad E. Mire, Michael A. Whitt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

To study the contribution of the protease-sensitive loop of the VSV M protein in virus assembly we recovered recombinant VSV (rVSV) with mutations in this region and examined virus replication. Mutations in the highly conserved LXD motif (aa 123-125) resulted in reduced virion budding, reduced virus titers and enhanced M protein exchange with M-ribonucleocapsid complexes (M-RNPs), suggesting that the mutant M proteins were less tightly associated with RNP skeletons. In addition, viral protein synthesis began to decrease at 4. h post-infection (hpi) and was reduced by ~. 80% at 8 hpi for the mutant rVSV-D125A. The reduced protein synthesis was not due to decreased VSV replication or transcription; however, translation of a reporter gene with an EMCV IRES was not reduced, suggesting that cap-dependent, but not cap-independent translation initiation was affected in rVSV-D125A infected cells. These results indicate that the LXD motif is involved in both virus assembly and VSV protein translation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)16-25
Number of pages10
JournalVirology
Volume416
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 20 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Matrix protein
  • Vesicular stomatitis virus
  • Virus assembly
  • Virus protein translation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Virology

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