HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moll, M. Articles by Maisner, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moll, M. Articles by Maisner, A. Agricola Articles by Moll, M. Articles by Maisner, A.

Polarized glycoprotein targeting affects the spread of measles virus in vitro and in vivo

Stefan Niewiesk^2,

¹ Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 17, 35037 Marburg, Germany
² Institute of Virology and Immunology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 7, 97078 Würzburg, Germany

Correspondence
Andrea Maisner
maisner{at}staff.uni-marburg.de

We have shown previously that basolateral targeting of plasmid-encoded measles virus (MV) F and H protein is dependent on single tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic tails of the glycoproteins and is essential for fusion activity in polarized epithelial cells. Here, we present data on the functional importance of polarized glycoprotein expression for the cytopathic properties of infectious MV in culture and for pathogenesis in vivo. By the introduction of single point mutations, we generated recombinant viruses in which the basolateral targeting signal of either one or both glycoproteins was destroyed (tyrosine mutants). As a consequence, the mutated glycoproteins were predominantly expressed on the apical membrane of polarized Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. In contrast to parental MV, none of these virus mutants was able to spread by syncytia formation in polarized cells showing that the presence of both MV glycoproteins at the basolateral cell surface is required for cell-to-cell fusion in vitro. Using cotton rats as an animal model that allows MV replication in the respiratory tract, we showed that basolateral glycoprotein targeting is also of importance for the spread of infection in vivo. Whereas parental MV was able to spread laterally within the respiratory epithelium and from there to cells in the underlying tissue, tyrosine mutants infected only single epithelial and very few subepithelial cells. These data strongly suggest that basolateral targeting of MV glycoproteins helps to overcome the epithelial barrier and thereby facilitates the systemic spread of MV infection in vivo.

Present address: Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, 1925 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Runkler, E. Dietzel, M. Carsillo, S. Niewiesk, and A. Maisner Sorting signals in the measles virus wild-type glycoproteins differently influence virus spread in polarized epithelia and lymphocytes J. Gen. Virol., October 1, 2009; 90(10): 2474 - 2482. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Schroer and T. Shenk Inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity blocks cell-to-cell spread of human cytomegalovirus PNAS, December 9, 2008; 105(49): 19468 - 19473. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Runkler, E. Dietzel, M. Moll, H.-D. Klenk, and A. Maisner Glycoprotein targeting signals influence the distribution of measles virus envelope proteins and virus spread in lymphocytes J. Gen. Virol., March 1, 2008; 89(3): 687 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. K. Rowe and A. Pekosz Bidirectional Virus Secretion and Nonciliated Cell Tropism following Andes Virus Infection of Primary Airway Epithelial Cell Cultures J. Virol., February 1, 2006; 80(3): 1087 - 1097. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]