La Crosse virus (LACV) Gc fusion peptide mutants have impaired growth and fusion phenotypes, but remain neurotoxic
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283 (United States)
- Abteilung Virologie, Institut fuer Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universitaet Freiburg, D-79008 Freiburg (Germany)
La Crosse virus is a leading cause of pediatric encephalitis in the Midwestern United States and an emerging pathogen in the American South. The LACV glycoprotein Gc plays a critical role in entry as the virus attachment protein. A 22 amino acid hydrophobic region within Gc (1066-1087) was recently identified as the LACV fusion peptide. To further define the role of Gc (1066-1087) in virus entry, fusion, and neuropathogenesis, a panel of recombinant LACV (rLACV) fusion peptide mutant viruses was generated. Replication of mutant rLACVs was significantly reduced. In addition, the fusion peptide mutants demonstrated decreased fusion phenotypes relative to LACV-WT. Interestingly, these viruses maintained their ability to cause neuronal loss in culture, suggesting that the fusion peptide of LACV Gc is a determinant of properties associated with neuroinvasion (growth to high titer in muscle cells and a robust fusion phenotype), but not necessarily of neurovirulence.
- OSTI ID:
- 21460266
- Journal Information:
- Virology, Vol. 404, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2010.04.012; PII: S0042-6822(10)00247-3; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0042-6822
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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