Fusion of enhanced green fluorescent protein to the pseudorabies virus axonal sorting protein Us9 blocks anterograde spread of infection in mammalian neurons

J Virol. 2008 Oct;82(20):10308-11. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01204-08. Epub 2008 Aug 6.

Abstract

Pseudorabies virus encodes a membrane protein (Us9) that is essential for the axonal sorting of virus particles within neurons and anterograde spread in the mammalian nervous system. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Us9 mimicked the trafficking properties of the wild-type protein in nonneuronal cells. We constructed a pseudorabies virus strain that expressed Us9-GFP and tested its spread capabilities in the rat visual system and in primary neuronal cultures. We report that Us9-EGFP does not promote anterograde spread of infection and may disrupt packing of viral membrane proteins in lipid rafts, an essential step for Us9-mediated axonal sorting.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / metabolism*
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Herpesvirus 1, Suid / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 1, Suid / metabolism*
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Lipoproteins / genetics
  • Lipoproteins / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / virology
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Transport
  • Pseudorabies / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism*
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Lipoproteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • US9 protein, Suid herpesvirus 1
  • Viral Proteins
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins