Locations of carbohydrate sites on alphavirus glycoproteins show that E1 forms an icosahedral scaffold

The missing link between envelope formation and fusion in alphaviruses

Recent structural analyses of the Semliki Forest virus envelope suggest that the spike subunit E1, which is responsible for virus membrane fusion, also maintains the organization of the spike protein shell that encompasses the enveloped virus. This gives E1 a unique opportunity to control membrane stability during the membrane fusion reaction. Here, we present a model for this control mechanism.