A common mechanism for influenza virus fusion activity and inactivation

Inactivation mechanisms of influenza A virus under pH conditions encountered in aerosol particles as revealed by whole-virus HDX-MS

Multiple respiratory viruses, including influenza A virus (IAV), can be transmitted via expiratory aerosol particles, and aerosol pH was recently identified as a major factor influencing airborne virus infectivity. Indoors, small exhaled aerosols undergo rapid acidification to pH ~4. IAV is known to be sensitive to mildly acidic conditions encountered within host endosomes; however, it is unknown whether the same mechanisms could mediate viral inactivation within the more acidic aerosol micro-environment. Here, we identified that transient exposure to pH 4 caused IAV inactivation by a two-stage process, with an initial sharp decline in infectious titers mainly attributed to premature attainment of the post-fusion conformation of viral protein haemagglutinin (HA). Protein changes were observed by hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) as early as 10 s post-exposure to acidic conditions. Our HDX-MS data are in agreement with other more labor-intensive structural analysis techniques, such as X-ray crystallography, highlighting the ease and usefulness of whole-virus HDX-MS for multiplexed protein analyses, even within enveloped viruses such as IAV. Additionally, virion integrity was partially but irreversibly affected by acidic conditions, with a progressive unfolding of the internal matrix protein 1 (M1) that aligned with a more gradual decline in viral infectivity with time. In contrast, no acid-mediated changes to the genome or lipid envelope were detected. Improved understanding of respiratory virus fate within exhaled aerosols constitutes a global public health priority, and information gained here could aid the development of novel strategies to control the airborne persistence of seasonal and/or pandemic influenza in the future. IMPORTANCE It is well established that COVID-19, influenza, and many other respiratory diseases can be transmitted by the inhalation of aerosolized viruses. Many studies have shown that the survival time of these airborne viruses is limited, but it remains an open question as to what drives their infectivity loss. Here, we address this question for influenza A virus by investigating structural protein changes incurred by the virus under conditions relevant to respiratory aerosol particles. From prior work, we know that expelled aerosols can become highly acidic due to equilibration with indoor room air, and our results indicate that two viral proteins are affected by these acidic conditions at multiple sites, leading to virus inactivation. Our findings suggest that the development of air treatments to quicken the speed of aerosol acidification would be a major strategy to control infectious bioburdens in the air.

Inhibition of Viral Membrane Fusion by Peptides and Approaches to Peptide Design

Fusion of lipid-enveloped viruses with the cellular plasma membrane or the endosome membrane is mediated by viral envelope proteins that undergo large conformational changes following binding to receptors. The HIV-1 fusion protein gp41 undergoes a transition into a "six-helix bundle" after binding of the surface protein gp120 to the CD4 receptor and a co-receptor. Synthetic peptides that mimic part of this structure interfere with the formation of the helix structure and inhibit membrane fusion. This approach also works with the S spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Here we review the peptide inhibitors of membrane fusion involved in infection by influenza virus, HIV-1, MERS and SARS coronaviruses, hepatitis viruses, paramyxoviruses, flaviviruses, herpesviruses and filoviruses. We also describe recent computational methods used for the identification of peptide sequences that can interact strongly with protein interfaces, with special emphasis on SARS-CoV-2, using the PePI-Covid19 database.

Mildly Acidic pH Triggers an Irreversible Conformational Change in the Fusion Domain of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Glycoprotein B and Inactivation of Viral Entry

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry into a subset of cells requires endocytosis and endosomal low pH. Preexposure of isolated virions to mildly acidic pH of 5 to 6 partially inactivates HSV infectivity in an irreversible manner. Acid inactivation is a hallmark of viruses that enter via low-pH pathways; this occurs by pretriggering conformational changes essential for fusion. The target and mechanism(s) of low-pH inactivation of HSV are unclear. Here, low-pH-treated HSV-1 was defective in fusion activity and yet retained normal levels of attachment to cell surface heparan sulfate and binding to nectin-1 receptor. Low-pH-triggered conformational changes in gB reported to date are reversible, despite irreversible low-pH inactivation. gB conformational changes and their reversibility were measured by antigenic analysis with a panel of monoclonal antibodies and by detecting changes in oligomeric conformation. Three-hour treatment of HSV-1 virions with pH 5 or multiple sequential treatments at pH 5 followed by neutral pH caused an irreversible >2.5 log infectivity reduction. While changes in several gB antigenic sites were reversible, alteration of the H126 epitope was irreversible. gB oligomeric conformational change remained reversible under all conditions tested. Altogether, our results reveal that oligomeric alterations and fusion domain changes represent distinct conformational changes in gB, and the latter correlates with irreversible low-pH inactivation of HSV. We propose that conformational change in the gB fusion domain is important for activation of membrane fusion during viral entry and that in the absence of a host target membrane, this change results in irreversible inactivation of virions.IMPORTANCE HSV-1 is an important pathogen with a high seroprevalence throughout the human population. HSV infects cells via multiple pathways, including a low-pH route into epithelial cells, the primary portal into the host. HSV is inactivated by low-pH preexposure, and gB, a class III fusion protein, undergoes reversible conformational changes in response to low-pH exposure. Here, we show that low-pH inactivation of HSV is irreversible and due to a defect in virion fusion activity. We identified an irreversible change in the fusion domain of gB following multiple sequential low-pH exposures or following prolonged low-pH treatment. This change appears to be separable from the alteration in gB quaternary structure. Together, the results are consistent with a model by which low pH can have an activating or inactivating effect on HSV depending on the presence of a target membrane.

Mechanisms of influenza viral membrane fusion

Influenza viral particles are enveloped by a lipid bilayer. A major step in infection is fusion of the viral and host cellular membranes, a process with large kinetic barriers. Influenza membrane fusion is catalyzed by hemagglutinin (HA), a class I viral fusion protein activated by low pH. The exact nature of the HA conformational changes that deliver the energy required for fusion remains poorly understood. This review summarizes our current knowledge of HA structure and dynamics, describes recent single-particle experiments and modeling studies, and discusses their role in understanding how multiple HAs mediate fusion. These approaches provide a mechanistic picture in which HAs independently and stochastically insert into the target membrane, forming a cluster of HAs that is collectively able to overcome the barrier to membrane fusion. The new experimental and modeling approaches described in this review hold promise for a more complete understanding of other viral fusion systems and the protein systems responsible for cellular fusion.

Antiviral effect of lithium chloride on infection of cells by porcine parvovirus

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) causes reproductive failure in pigs, which leads to economic losses to the industry. As reported previously, LiCl efficiently impairs the replication of a variety of viruses, including the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), and pseudorabies herpesvirus. We demonstrate for the first time that inhibition of PPV replication in swine testis (ST) cells by LiCl is dose-dependent, and that the antiviral effect of LiCl occurred in the early phase of PPV replication. These results indicate that LiCl might be an effective anti-PPV drug to control PPV disease. Further studies are required to explore the mechanism of the antiviral effect of LiCl on PPV infection in vivo.

Study of the putative fusion regions of the preS domain of hepatitis B virus

In a previous study, it was shown that purified preS domains of hepatitis B virus (HBV) could interact with acidic phospholipid vesicles and induce aggregation, lipid mixing and leakage of internal contents which could be indicative of their involvement in the fusion of the viral and cellular membranes (Núñez, E. et al. 2009. Interaction of preS domains of hepatitis B virus with phospholipid vesicles. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 17884:417-424). In order to locate the region responsible for the fusogenic properties of preS, five mutant proteins have been obtained from the preS1 domain of HBV, in which 40 amino acids have been deleted from the sequence, with the starting point of each deletion moving 20 residues along the sequence. These proteins have been characterized by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy, establishing that, in all cases, they retain their mostly non-ordered conformation with a high percentage of β structure typical of the full-length protein. All the mutants can insert into the lipid matrix of dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol vesicles. Moreover, we have studied the interaction of the proteins with acidic phospholipid vesicles and each one produces, to a greater or lesser extent, the effects of destabilizing vesicles observed with the full-length preS domain. The ability of all mutants, which cover the complete sequence of preS1, to destabilize the phospholipid bilayers points to a three-dimensional structure and/or distribution of amino acids rather than to a particular amino acid sequence as being responsible for the membrane fusion process.

Influenza virus-membrane fusion triggered by proton uncaging for single particle studies of fusion kinetics

We report a method for studying membrane fusion, focusing on influenza virus fusion to lipid bilayers, which provides high temporal resolution through the rapid and coordinated initiation of individual virus fusion events. Each fusion event proceeds through a series of steps, much like multistep chemical reaction. Fusion is initiated by a rapid decrease in pH that accompanies the "uncaging" of an effector molecule from o-nitrobenzaldehyde, a photoisomerizable compound that releases a proton to the surrounding solution within microseconds of long-wave ultraviolet irradiation. In order to quantify pH values upon UV irradiation and uncaging, we introduce a simple silica nanoparticle pH sensor, useful for reporting the pH in homogeneous nanoliter volumes under conditions where traditional organic dye-type pH probes fail. Subsequent single-virion fusion events are monitored using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Statistical analysis of these stochastic events uncovers kinetic information about the fusion reaction. This approach reveals that the kinetic parameters obtained from the data are sensitive to the rate at which protons are delivered to the bound viruses. Higher resolution measurements can enhance fundamental fusion studies and aid antiviral antifusogenic drug development.

Influenza virus-mediated membrane fusion: determinants of hemagglutinin fusogenic activity and experimental approaches for assessing virus fusion

Hemagglutinin (HA) is the viral protein that facilitates the entry of influenza viruses into host cells. This protein controls two critical aspects of entry: virus binding and membrane fusion. In order for HA to carry out these functions, it must first undergo a priming step, proteolytic cleavage, which renders it fusion competent. Membrane fusion commences from inside the endosome after a drop in lumenal pH and an ensuing conformational change in HA that leads to the hemifusion of the outer membrane leaflets of the virus and endosome, the formation of a stalk between them, followed by pore formation. Thus, the fusion machinery is an excellent target for antiviral compounds, especially those that target the conserved stem region of the protein. However, traditional ensemble fusion assays provide a somewhat limited ability to directly quantify fusion partly due to the inherent averaging of individual fusion events resulting from experimental constraints. Inspired by the gains achieved by single molecule experiments and analysis of stochastic events, recently-developed individual virion imaging techniques and analysis of single fusion events has provided critical information about individual virion behavior, discriminated intermediate fusion steps within a single virion, and allowed the study of the overall population dynamics without the loss of discrete, individual information. In this article, we first start by reviewing the determinants of HA fusogenic activity and the viral entry process, highlight some open questions, and then describe the experimental approaches for assaying fusion that will be useful in developing the most effective therapies in the future.

A novel peptide inhibits the influenza virus replication by preventing the viral attachment to the host cells

Avian influenza viruses (AIV), the causative agent of avian flu or bird flu, cause widespread morbidity and mortality in poultry. The symptoms of the disease range from mild flu like symptoms to death. These viruses possess two important surface glycoproteins, namely hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) against which neutralizing antibodies are produced. Due to the highly mutative nature of the genes which encode these proteins, the viruses often confer resistance to the current anti-viral drugs making the prevention and treatment of infection challenging. In our laboratory, we have recently identified a novel anti-viral peptide (P1) against the AIV H9N2 from a phage displayed peptide library. This peptide inhibits the replication of the virus in ovo and in vitro by its binding to the HA glycoprotein. In the current study, we demonstrate that the peptide inhibits the virus replication by preventing the attachment to the host cell but it does not have any effect on the viral fusion. The reduction in the viral nucleoprotein (NP) expression inside the host cell has also been observed during the peptide (P1) treatment. This novel peptide may have the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment and control of avian influenza virus H9N2 infections.

Survival of the avian influenza virus (H6N2) after land disposal

An integral component in preventing an avian influenza pandemic is containment and disposal of infected bird (poultry) carcasses. Disposal of carcasses in Subtitle D municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills may be an advantageous option due to their large capacities and facility distribution in the U.S. In this study, the survival of H6N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) was measured in a methanogenic landfill leachate and water as a function of temperature, conductivity, and pH. Elevated temperature and nonneutral pH resulted in the quickest inactivation times for AIV in both media, whereas conductivity did not have a significant influence on AIV survival. Media effects were significant and AIV inactivation in leachate was consistently the same or faster than AIV inactivation in water. Based on an initial titer of 10(5) TCID50/mL, calculated inactivation times ranged from 30 days to greater than 600 days, indicating that AIV will remain infectious during and after waste disposal. Disposal of infected carcasses in a MSW landfill may be an appropriate option as inactivation times are within the design life of required barrier systems at Subtitle D landfills.

Fusion of enveloped virus nanoparticles with polyelectrolyte-supported lipid membranes for the design of bio/nonbio interfaces

Fusion of lipid-enveloped viruses with endosomal membranes triggered by low pH in the endosome is a key step in the course of viral infection. This ubiquitous mechanism can be used to integrate functional nanoparticles of viral origin into composite materials consisting of a polyelectrolyte multilayer with an adsorbed lipid membrane in a natural and biomimetic way. Polyelectrolyte multilayers as the support for the lipid membrane are a versatile means to combine the biological functions of the viral surface with the multiplicity of polyelectrolyte borne functions into a novel bio/nonbio composite material.

Cell Biological and Biophysical Aspects of Lipid-mediated Gene Delivery

Cationic lipids are conceptually and methodologically simple tools to deliver nucleic acids into the cells. Strategies based on cationic lipids are viable alternatives to viral vectors and are becoming increasingly popular owing to their minimal toxicity. The first-generation cationic lipids were built around the quaternary nitrogen primarily for binding and condensing DNA. A large number of lipids with variations in the hydrophobic and hydrophilic region were generated with excellent transfection efficiencies in vitro. These cationic lipids had reduced efficiencies when tested for gene delivery in vivo. Efforts in the last decade delineated the cell biological basis of the cationic lipid gene delivery to a significant detail. The application of techniques such as small angle X-ray spectroscopy (SAXS) and fluorescence microscopy, helped in linking the physical properties of lipid:DNA complex (lipoplex) with its intracellular fate. This biological knowledge has been incorporated in the design of the second-generation cationic lipids. Lipid-peptide conjugates (peptoids) are effective strategies to overcome the various cellular barriers along with the lipoplex formulations methodologies. In this context, cationic lipid-mediated gene delivery is considerably benefited by the methodologies of liposome-mediated drug delivery. Lipid mediated gene delivery has an intrinsic advantage of being a biomimetic platform on which considerable variations could be built to develop efficient in vivo gene delivery protocols.

pH-dependence of intermediate steps of membrane fusion induced by the influenza fusion peptide

Membrane fusion mediated by the influenza-virus fusion protein is activated by low pH via a cascade of reactions. Some processes among them are irreversible, such as helix hairpin formation of the ectodomain, whereas others are reversible, such as exposure of the fusion peptide. Using this property, we attempted to dissect, in temporal order, different stages of the fusion reaction involving the fusion peptide by an acidic-neutral-acidic pH cycle. The fluorescence-quenching data indicated that both insertion depth and self-assembly are pH-reversible. In addition, lipid mixing assay was demonstrated to be arrested by neutral pH. By contrast, membrane leakage was shown to be irreversible with respect to pH. Our results, along with those from other studies on the pH-dependence of membrane fusion, are used to build a model for the virus-mediated fusion event from the perspective of pH-reversibility.

Use of a dialyzable short-chain phospholipid for efficient solubilization and reconstitution of influenza virus envelopes

Virosomes are reconstituted viral envelopes that can serve as vaccines and as vehicles for cellular delivery of various macromolecules. To further advance the use of virosomes, we developed a novel dialysis procedure for the reconstitution of influenza virus membranes that is easily applicable to industrial production and compatible with encapsulation of a variety of compounds. This procedure relies on the use of 1,2-dicaproyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DCPC) as a solubilizing agent. DCPC is a short-chain lecithin with detergent-like properties and with a critical micelle concentration of 14 mM. DCPC effectively dissolved the influenza virus membranes after which the nucleocapsids could be removed by ultracentrifugation. The solubilized membrane components were reconstituted either by removal of DCPC by dialysis or by a procedure involving initial dilution of the solubilized membrane components followed by dialysis. Both protocols resulted in removal of 99.9% of DCPC and simultaneous formation of virosomes. Analysis of the virosome preparations by equilibrium sucrose density gradient centrifugation revealed co-migration of phospholipid and protein for virosomes produced by either method. Moreover, both virosome preparations showed morphological and fusogenic characteristics similar to native influenza virus. Size, homogeneity and spike density of the virosomes varied with the two different reconstitution procedures employed. The recovery of viral membrane proteins and phospholipids in the virosomes was found to be higher for the dilution/dialysis procedure than for the simple dialysis protocol. This novel procedure for the production of virosomes is straightforward and robust and allows further exploitation of virosomes as vaccines or as drug delivery vehicles not only in academia, but also in industrial settings.

Liposome composition effects on lipid mixing between cells expressing influenza virus hemagglutinin and bound liposomes

The involvement of contacting and distal lipid monolayers in different stages of protein-mediated fusion was studied for fusion mediated by influenza virus hemagglutinin. Inclusion of non-bilayer lipids in the composition of the liposomes bound to hemagglutinin-expressing cells affects fusion triggered by low pH. Lysophosphatidylcholine added to the outer membrane monolayers inhibits fusion. The same lipid added to the inner monolayer of the liposomes promotes both lipid and content mixing. In contrast to the inverted cone-shaped lysophosphatidylcholine, lipids of the opposite effective shape, oleic acid or cardiolipin with calcium, present in the inner monolayers inhibit fusion. These results along with fusion inhibition by a bipolar lipid that does not support peeling of one monolayer of the liposomal membrane from the other substantiate the hypothesis that fusion proceeds through a local hemifusion intermediate. The transition from hemifusion to the opening of an expanding fusion pore allows content mixing and greatly facilitates lipid mixing between liposomes and cells.

Kinetics of influenza virus fusion with the endosomal and plasma membranes of cultured cells. Effect of temperature

We performed a detailed kinetic analysis of influenza virus fusion with the endosomal and plasma membranes of Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and provided a comparison of the kinetic parameters obtained for both cases at 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Using our mass action kinetic model, we determined that the fusion rate constant, f, for influenza virus with the endosomal membrane was 0.02 s(-1) at 37 degrees C and 0.0035 s(-1) at 20 degrees C. The analysis of the fusion kinetics of influenza virus with the plasma membrane yielded that the fusion rate constants were close to those deduced with the endosomal membrane. The systematic kinetic analysis performed in this study provides for the first time a biophysical support for studies on influenza virus-cell fusion where the acidic endosomal internal environment is simulated artificially by lowering the pH of the medium.

Reversible stages of the low-pH-triggered conformational change in influenza virus hemagglutinin

The refolding of the prototypic fusogenic protein hemagglutinin (HA) at the pH of fusion is considered to be a concerted and irreversible discharge of a loaded spring, with no distinct intermediates between the initial and final conformations. Here, we show that HA refolding involves reversible conformations with a lifetime of minutes. After reneutralization, low pH-activated HA returns from the conformations wherein both the fusion peptide and the kinked loop of the HA2 subunit are exposed, but the HA1 subunits have not yet dissociated, to a structure indistinguishable from the initial one in functional, biochemical and immunological characteristics. The rate of the transition from reversible conformations to irreversible refolding depends on the pH and on the presence of target membrane. Importantly, recovery of the initial conformation is blocked by the interactions between adjacent HA trimers. The existence of the identified reversible stage of refolding can be crucial for allowing multiple copies of HA to synchronize their release of conformational energy, as required for fusion.

Fluorescent probes for monitoring virus fusion kinetics: comparative evaluation of reliability

Fluorescence assays for viral membrane fusion employ lipidic probes whose kinetics of fluorescence dequenching should mimic the actual kinetics of membrane merging. We examined the fusion of influenza virus with CEM cells, erythrocyte ghosts or liposomes by monitoring the fluorescence dequenching of each one of the three probes, octadecylrhodamine B chloride (R18), N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl)phosphatidylethanolamine (Rh-PE), or rac-2,3-dioleoylglycerol ester of rhodamine B (DORh-B), inserted into the virus membrane. Experimental conditions were designed to allow a clear distinction between membrane mixing and non-specific probe transfer. Fluorescence dequenching observed with Rh-PE was much slower than with R18, unless a particular experimental procedure was used. Using liposomes as a target membrane, the kinetics and extent of the decrease in resonance energy transfer between N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)phosphatidylethanolamine (NBD-PE) and Rh-PE, initially embedded in the liposome membrane, were matched by that of the dequenching of viral R18, but not of viral Rh-PE. DORh-B was found not to be appropriate to follow membrane merging. Our results indicate that on a time scale of several minutes R18 more accurately reflects the kinetics of membrane fusion. Nevertheless, control experiments should be performed to evaluate non-specific probe transfer of R18 molecules, whose contribution to fluorescence dequenching can become significant after long incubation times.

Synchronized activation and refolding of influenza hemagglutinin in multimeric fusion machines

At the time of fusion, membranes are packed with fusogenic proteins. Do adjacent individual proteins interact with each other in the plane of the membrane? Or does each of these proteins serve as an independent fusion machine? Here we report that the low pH-triggered transition between the initial and final conformations of a prototype fusogenic protein, influenza hemagglutinin (HA), involves a preserved interaction between individual HAs. Although the HAs of subtypes H3 and H2 show notably different degrees of activation, for both, the percentage of low pH-activated HA increased with higher surface density of HA, indicating positive cooperativity. We propose that a concerted activation of HAs, together with the resultant synchronized release of their conformational energy, is an example of a general strategy of coordination in biological design, crucial for the functioning of multiprotein fusion machines.

Stochastic simulation of hemagglutinin-mediated fusion pore formation

Studies on fusion between cell pairs have provided evidence that opening and subsequent dilation of a fusion pore are stochastic events. Therefore, adequate modeling of fusion pore formation requires a stochastic approach. Here we present stochastic simulations of hemagglutinin (HA)-mediated fusion pore formation between HA-expressing cells and erythrocytes based on numerical solutions of a master equation. The following elementary processes are taken into account: 1) lateral diffusion of HA-trimers and receptors, 2) aggregation of HA-trimers to immobilized clusters, 3) reversible formation of HA-receptor contacts, and 4) irreversible conversion of HA-receptor contacts into stable links between HA and the target membrane. The contact sites between fusing cells are modeled as superimposed square lattices. The model simulates well the statistical distribution of time delays measured for the various intermediates of fusion pore formation between cell-cell fusion complexes. In particular, these are the formation of small ion-permissive and subsequent lipid-permissive fusion pores detected experimentally (R. Blumenthal, D. P. Sarkar, S. Durell, D. E. Howard, and S. J., J. Cell Biol. 135:63-71). Moreover, by averaging the simulated individual stochastic time courses across a larger population of cell-cell-complexes the model also provides a reasonable description of kinetic measurements on lipid mixing in cell suspensions (T. Danieli, S. L. Pelletier, Y.I. Henis, and J. M. White, 1996, J. Cell Biol. 133:559-569).

Delay of influenza hemagglutinin refolding into a fusion-competent conformation by receptor binding: a hypothesis

Two subunits of influenza hemagglutinin (HA), HA1 and HA2, represent one of the best-characterized membrane fusion machines. While a low pH conformation of HA2 mediates the actual fusion, HA1 establishes a specific connection between the viral and cell membranes via binding to the sialic acid-containing receptors. Here we propose that HA1 may also be involved in modulating the kinetics of HA refolding. We hypothesized that binding of the HA1 subunit to its receptor restricts the major refolding of the low pH-activated HA to a fusion-competent conformation and, in the absence of fusion, to an HA-inactivated state. Dissociation of the HA1-receptor connection was considered to be a slow kinetic step. To verify this hypothesis, we first analyzed a simple kinetic scheme accounting for the stages of dissociation of the HA1/receptor bonds, inactivation and fusion, and formulated experimentally testable predictions. Second, we verified these predictions by measuring the extent of fusion between HA-expressing cells and red blood cells. Three experimental approaches based on 1) the temporal inhibition of fusion by lysophosphatidylcholine, 2) rapid dissociation of the HA1-receptor connections by neuraminidase treatment, and 3) substitution of membrane-anchored receptors by a water-soluble sialyllactose all provided support for the proposed role of the release of HA1-receptor connections. Possible biological implications of this stage in HA refolding and membrane fusion are being discussed.

Role of hemagglutinin surface density in the initial stages of influenza virus fusion: lack of evidence for cooperativity

Membrane fusion mediated by influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) is believed to proceed via the cooperative action of multiple HA trimers. To determine the minimal number of HA trimers required to trigger fusion, and to assess the importance of cooperativity between these HA trimers, we have generated virosomes containing coreconstituted HAs derived from two strains of virus with different pH dependencies for fusion, X-47 (optimal fusion at pH 5.1; threshold at pH 5.6) and A/Shangdong (optimal fusion at pH 5.6; threshold at pH 6.0), and measured fusion of these virosomes with erythrocyte ghosts by a fluorescence lipid mixing assay. Virosomes with different X-47-to-A/Shangdong HA ratios, at a constant HA-to-lipid ratio, showed comparable ghost-binding activities, and the low-pH-induced conformational change of A/Shangdong HA did not affect the fusion activity of X-47 HA. The initial rate of fusion of these virosomes at pH 5.7 increased directly proportional to the surface density of A/Shangdong HA, and a single A/Shangdong trimer per virosome appeared to suffice to induce fusion. The reciprocal of the lag time before the onset of fusion was directly proportional to the surface density of fusion-competent HA. These results support the notion that there is no cooperativity between HA trimers during influenza virus fusion.

Mechanisms and kinetics of liposome-cell interactions

Although the possibility of targeting drugs to specific tissues and cells, as well as facilitating their uptake and cytoplasmic delivery has rendered liposomes a versatile drug carrier system with numerous potential applications in medicine, the molecular mechanisms of liposome-cell interactions are not understood well. Here we have reviewed the early and current concepts of liposome-cell interactions, including possible liposome receptors. Uptake of liposomes by cells can be modified by the lipid composition, particularly by the inclusion of steric stabilizers such as PEG-conjugated lipids. Such modifications also alter the circulation time and biodistribution of liposomes, which can thus be tailored for particular applications. The intracellular fate of encapsulated molecules can be modified by the use of pH-sensitive liposomes which can also be sterically stabilized. Cationic liposomes that can undergo lipid mixing with cellular membranes can deliver complexed DNA to cells, but most likely via an endocytotic process. Kinetic analysis of liposome-cell interactions can elucidate the numbers of liposome receptors of several types and the corresponding binding constants. It is likely that liposomes bind to different cell surface receptors on different cells, and that they utilize more than one type of receptor on a particular cell. The kinetic analysis also provides the rate constants of endocytosis and the percentages of liposomes that are bound or endocytosed.

Conformational intermediates and fusion activity of influenza virus hemagglutinin

Three strains of influenza virus (H1, H2, and H3) exhibited similar characteristics in the ability of their hemagglutinin (HA) to induce membrane fusion, but the HAs differed in their susceptibility to inactivation. The extent of inactivation depended on the pH of preincubation and was lowest for A/Japan (H2 subtype), in agreement with previous studies (A. Puri, F. Booy, R. W. Doms, J. M. White, and R. Blumenthal, J. Virol. 64:3824-3832, 1990). While significant inactivation of X31 (H3 subtype) was observed at 37 degrees C at pH values corresponding to the maximum of fusion (about pH 5.0), no inactivation was seen at preincubation pH values 0.2 to 0.4 pH units higher. Surprisingly, low-pH preincubation under those conditions enhanced the fusion rates and extents of A/Japan as well as those of X31. For A/PR 8/34 (H1 subtype), neither a shift of the pH (to >5.0) nor a decrease of the temperature to 20 degrees C was sufficient to prevent inactivation. We provide evidence that the activated HA is a conformational intermediate distinct from the native structure and from the final structure associated with the conformational change of HA, which is implicated by the high-resolution structure of the soluble trimeric fragment TBHA2 (P. A. Bullough, F. M. Hughson, J. J. Skehel, and D. C. Wiley, Nature 371:37-43, 1994).

Role of a Transbilayer pH Gradient in the Membrane Fusion Activity of the Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin: Use of the R18 Assay to Monitor Membrane Merging

It had been suggested that influenza virus-mediated membrane fusion might be dependent on a pH gradient across a target membrane. We have designed experiments in which this issue could be addressed. Two populations of liposomes were prepared, both simulating the plasma membrane of target cells, but with the pH of the internal aqueous medium buffered either at pH 7.4 (physiological cytosol pH) or at pH 5.0 (endosomal pH at which influenza virus displays maximal fusion activity). By monitoring fusion using the R18 assay, we found that the internal pH of the target liposomes did not influence membrane merging as mediated by the influenza virus hemagglutinin, thus demonstrating that a transmembrane pH gradient is not required in this fusion process.

Inhibition of influenza A virus replication by compounds interfering with the fusogenic function of the viral hemagglutinin

Several compounds that specifically inhibited replication of the H1 and H2 subtypes of influenza virus type A were identified by screening a chemical library for antiviral activity. In single-cycle infections, the compounds inhibited virus-specific protein synthesis when added before or immediately after infection but were ineffective when added 30 min later, suggesting that an uncoating step was blocked. Sequencing of hemagglutinin (HA) genes of several independent mutant viruses resistant to the compounds revealed single amino acid changes that clustered in the stem region of the HA trimer in and near the HA2 fusion peptide. One of the compounds, an N-substituted piperidine, could be docked in a pocket in this region by computer-assisted molecular modeling. This compound blocked the fusogenic activity of HA, as evidenced by its inhibition of low-pH-induced cell-cell fusion in infected cell monolayers. An analog which was more effective than the parent compound in inhibiting virus replication was synthesized. It was also more effective in blocking other manifestations of the low-pH-induced conformational change in HA, including virus inactivation, virus-induced hemolysis of erythrocytes, and susceptibility of the HA to proteolytic degradation. Both compounds inhibited viral protein synthesis and replication more effectively in cells infected with a virus mutated in its M2 protein than with wild-type virus. The possible functional relationship between M2 and HA suggested by these results is discussed.

A mechanism of protein-mediated fusion: coupling between refolding of the influenza hemagglutinin and lipid rearrangements

Although membrane fusion mediated by influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) is the best characterized example of ubiquitous protein-mediated fusion, it is still not known how the low-pH-induced refolding of HA trimers causes fusion. This refolding involves 1) repositioning of the hydrophobic N-terminal sequence of the HA2 subunit of HA ("fusion peptide"), and 2) the recruitment of additional residues to the alpha-helical coiled coil of a rigid central rod of the trimer. We propose here a mechanism by which these conformational changes can cause local bending of the viral membrane, priming it for fusion. In this model fusion is triggered by incorporation of fusion peptides into viral membrane. Refolding of a central rod exerts forces that pull the fusion peptides, tending to bend the membrane around HA trimer into a saddle-like shape. Elastic energy drives self-assembly of these HA-containing membrane elements in the plane of the membrane into a ring-like cluster. Bulging of the viral membrane within such cluster yields a dimple growing toward the bound target membrane. Bending stresses in the lipidic top of the dimple facilitate membrane fusion. We analyze the energetics of this proposed sequence of membrane rearrangements, and demonstrate that this simple mechanism may explain some of the known phenomenological features of fusion.

A physicochemical approach for predicting the effectiveness of peptide-based gene delivery systems for use in plasmid-based gene therapy

Novel synthetic peptides, based on carrier peptide analogs (YKAKnWK) and an amphipathic peptide (GLFEALLELLESLWELLLEA), have been formulated with DNA plasmids to create peptide-based gene delivery systems. The carrier peptides are used to condense plasmids into nanoparticles with a hydrodynamic diameter (DH) ranging from 40 to 200 nm, which are sterically stable for over 100 h. Size and morphology of the carrier peptide/plasmid complex have been determined by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The amphipathic peptide is used as a pH-sensitive lytic agent to facilitate release of the plasmid from endosomes after endocytosis of the peptide/plasmid complex. Hemolysis assays have shown that the amphipathic peptide destabilizes lipid bilayers at low pH, mimicking the properties of viral fusogenic peptides. However, circular dichroism studies show that unlike the viral fusion peptides, this amphipathic peptide loses some of its alpha-helical structure at low pH in the presence of liposomes. The peptide-based gene delivery systems were tested for transfection efficiency in a variety of cell lines, including 14-day C2C12 mouse myotubes, using gene expression systems containing the beta-galactosidase reporter gene. Transfection data demonstrate a correlation between in vitro transfection efficiency and the combination of several physical properties of the peptide/plasmid complexes, including 1) DNA dose, 2) the zeta potential of the particle, 3) the requirement of both lytic and carrier peptides, and 4) the number of lysine residues associated with the carrier peptide. Transfection data on 14-day C2C12 myotubes utilizing the therapeutic human growth hormone gene formulated in an optimal peptide gene delivery system show an increase in gene expression over time, with a maximum in protein levels at 96 h (approximately 18 ng/ml).

The pathway of membrane fusion catalyzed by influenza hemagglutinin: restriction of lipids, hemifusion, and lipidic fusion pore formation

The mechanism of bilayer unification in biological fusion is unclear. We reversibly arrested hemagglutinin (HA)-mediated cell-cell fusion right before fusion pore opening. A low-pH conformation of HA was required to form this intermediate and to ensure fusion beyond it. We present evidence indicating that outer monolayers of the fusing membranes were merged and continuous in this intermediate, but HA restricted lipid mixing. Depending on the surface density of HA and the membrane lipid composition, this restricted hemifusion intermediate either transformed into a fusion pore or expanded into an unrestricted hemifusion, without pores but with unrestricted lipid mixing. Our results suggest that restriction of lipid flux by a ring of activated HA is necessary for successful fusion, during which a lipidic fusion pore develops in a local and transient hemifusion diaphragm.

Influenza hemagglutinin is spring-loaded by a metastable native conformation

Enveloped viruses enter cells by protein-mediated membrane fusion. For influenza virus, membrane fusion is regulated by the conformational state of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, which switches from a native (nonfusogenic) structure to a fusion-active (fusogenic) conformation when exposed to the acidic environment of the cellular endosome. Here we demonstrate that destabilization of HA at neutral pH, with either heat or the denaturant urea, triggers a conformational change that is biochemically indistinguishable from the change triggered by low pH. In each case, the conformational change is coincident with induction of membrane-fusion activity, providing strong evidence that the fusogenic structure is formed. These results indicate that the native structure of HA is trapped in a metastable state and that the fusogenic conformation is released by destabilization of native structure. This strategy may be shared by other enveloped viruses, including those that enter the cell at neutral pH, and could have implications for understanding the membrane-fusion step of HIV infection.

Fusion activity of the influenza virus hemagglutinin does not require a transbilayer pH gradient

Following reports suggesting that membrane fusion mediated by the influenza virus hemagglutinin might be dependent on a pH gradient across a putative target membrane, we have designed experiments in which this issue could be addressed directly. Accordingly, we have prepared two populations of liposomes, both simulating the plasma membrane of target cells, but with the pH of the internal aqueous medium buffered either at pH 7.4 (physiological cytosol pH) or pH 5.0 (endosomal pH at which influenza virus displays maximal fusion activity). Monitoring fusion as the relief in self-quenching of the fluorescent probe octadecylrhodamine B chloride we have found that the internal pH of the target liposomes did not influence membrane merging as mediated by the influenza virus hemagglutinin, thus demonstrating that a transmembrane pH gradient is not required for the fusion process to take place.

Conformational changes and fusion activity of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein: [125I]iodonaphthyl azide photolabeling studies in biological membranes

The interaction of VSV glycoprotein (VSV G) with biological membranes was studied by photosensitized labeling. The method is based on photosensitized activation by the fluorescent lipid analog 3,3'-dioctadecyloxacarbocyanine (DiO) of a hydrophobic probe, [125I]iodonaphthyl azide (125INA), that rapidly partitions into the membrane bilayer of virus and cells. 125INA labeling of proteins and lipids can be confined to the site of chromophore localization by photosensitized labeling. Photoactivation using visible light of target membrane labeled with DiO and 125INA, to which unlabeled virions are bound, results in exclusive labeling of envelope glycoproteins inserted into the target membrane [Pak et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 14614]. In this study, we labeled lipid symmetric erythrocyte ghosts with 125INA and DiO. Photosensitized activation of VSV prebound to labeled ghosts with visible light resulted in VSV G labeling under fusogenic conditions. Photoactivation of 125INA by UV light, which is nonspecific, produced labeled VSV G at both acidic and neutral pH. Photosensitized labeling of VSV G by DiO-125INA-ghosts was also observed at pH 5.5, 4 degrees C, in the absence of mixing between viral and cellular lipids, suggesting insertion of the ectodomain of VSV G. Soluble VSV G lacking the transmembrane domain inserted into DiO-125INA-ghosts under the same conditions as intact VSV G. DiO inserted into intact VSV appeared to be a suitable fluorophore for continuous kinetic measurements of membrane fusion by fluorescence dequenching. Our photosensitized labeling results establish biochemical correlates for the three states of VSV G, which we had proposed based on kinetic data [Clague et al., Biochemistry 29, 1303]. In addition, we found that VSV G insertion into the target membrane is reversible, suggesting a "velcro"-like attachment of the fusogenic domain with the target membrane.

Transient changes of the conformation of hemagglutinin of influenza virus at low pH detected by time-resolved circular dichroism spectroscopy

Membrane fusion of influenza virus is mediated by a conformational change of the viral membrane protein hemagglutinin (HA) triggered by low pH. By near UV CD spectroscopy, which is sensitive to the arrangement and mobility of aromatic amino acids in proteins, we have monitored continuously with a time resolution of 5 s the kinetics of structural alterations of the ectodomain of HA isolated from different influenza virus strains (H1 (A/PR 8/34), H2 (A/Japan), and H3 (X31)). To establish a functional correlation to structural alterations of the HA ectodomain reflected by the CD, we have measured the kinetics of the virus-erythrocyte fusion and of the inactivation of fusion by low pH preincubation of viruses. At acidic pH we found a multiphasic behavior of the CD signal recorded at 283 nm. Upon lowering the pH we detected first an increase of the CD amplitude, which is associated with the formation of a fusion-competent state of HA. The initial increase was followed by a continuous decline of CD amplitude, which can be ascribed to a transformation into a fusion-inactivated conformation that is in its early phase reversible as found for A/Japan. The half-time of the different phases of the CD signal depended on the virus strain, the temperature, and the acidic pH. The results support recent hypotheses that the fusion-competent conformation is an intermediate of the fusion-inactivated structure of HA.

Voltage-dependent translocation of R18 and DiI across lipid bilayers leads to fluorescence changes

We show that the lipophilic, cationic fluorescent dyes R18 and Dil translocate from one monolayer of a phospholipid bilayer membrane to the other in a concentration and voltage-dependent manner. When the probes were incorporated into voltage-clamped planar membranes and potentials were applied, displacement currents resulted. The charged probes sensed a large fraction of the applied field. When these probes were added to only one monolayer, displacement currents were symmetrical around 0 mV, indicating that the probes distributed equally between the two monolayers. Charge translocation required that the bilayer be fluid. When membranes were in a condensed gel phase, displacement currents were not observed; raising the temperature to above the gel-liquid crystalline transition restored the currents. Translocation of R18 was also shown by fluorescence measurements. When R18 was in the bilayer at high, self-quenching concentrations, voltage pulses led to voltage-dependent fluorescence changes. The kinetics of the fluorescence changes and charge translocations correlated. Adding the quencher I- to one aqueous phase caused fluorescence to decrease or increase when voltage moved R18 toward or away from the quencher at low, nonquenching concentrations of R18. In contrast to R18, Dil incorporated into bilayers was a carrier fo I-, and hence I- altered Dil currents. Voltage-driven translocations allow R18 and Dil to be used to probe membrane potential changes.

Partial fusion activity of influenza virus toward liposomes and erythrocyte ghosts is distinct from viral inactivation

Final extents of fusion of influenza virus (A/PR/8/34 strain) with neutral and partially acidic liposomes were monitored with (i) a fluorescence resonance energy-transfer assay in which the liposomes were labeled and (ii) by the dequenching of octadecylrhodamine, initially incorporated in the viral membrane. The latter assay was also employed in the fusion of influenza virus and Sendai virus with erythrocyte ghosts. In all cases, a phenomenon of partial fusion activity of the virus was observed, which is distinct from low pH inactivation. The unfused influenza or Sendai virions, which were separated by sucrose gradient centrifugation from liposomes or erythrocyte ghosts exhibited again partial fusion activity toward freshly added liposomes or ghosts, respectively. The conclusion is that the fraction of initially bound and unfused virions does not consist of defective particles, but rather of particles bound to the target membranes via inactive sites on the virus (or on cellular membranes), or else, partial fusion activity is a manifestation of a certain probability of production of fusion inactive sites by irreversible association of viral glycoproteins or peptides in the target membrane.

Characterization of CD4-gp120 activation intermediates during human immunodeficiency virus type 1 syncytium formation

The mechanism by which cells expressing HIV envelope glycoproteins progress from binding CD4+ cells to syncytia formation is not entirely understood. The purpose of these investigations was to use physical and biochemical tools (temperature shifts, soluble CD4, protease inhibitors, and a battery of anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies) to isolate discrete steps during syncytia formation. Previously (Fu et al., J Virol 1993;67:3818), we found that preincubation of cells stably expressing HIV-1 gp 160 (TF228.1.16) with CD4+ SupT1 cells at 16 degrees C, a temperature that is nonpermissive for syncytia formation, resulted in an increased rate of syncytia formation when the cocultures were shifted to the syncytia-permissive temperature of 37 degrees C. We have since found that syncytia formation is further enhanced by shifting the cocultures from 16 to 4 degrees C prior to incubation at 37 degrees C. Together, these data suggest that two discrete states, which we term the first and second activation intermediates (FAI and SAI), are involved in syncytia formation. We have found that acquisition of the FAI (by preincubation at 16 degree C) is sensitive to some serine protease inhibitors (PI), soluble CD4 (sCD4), shedding of gp120, and anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies (MAb) directed toward the CDR-1/2 and CDR-3 regions of domain 1 on CD4. Expression of the FAI (formation of syncytia by shifting from 16 to 37 degrees C) remains sensitive to sCD4, shedding of gp120, and MAb directed toward CDR-1/2 but is less sensitive to MAb that bind CDR-3 and is insensitive to PI. Similarly, acquisition of the SAI (shifting cocultures from 16 to 4 degrees C), is sensitive to sCD4, shedding of gp120, and MAb directed toward CDR-1/2. In contrast, expression of the SAI (shifting cocultures from 16 to 4 to 37 degrees C) is sensitive only to MAb directed toward CDR-1/2 and cannot be blocked by sCD4, shedding of gp120, or PI. These data allow us to propose that syncytia formation, mediated by HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, proceeds by a multistep cascade.

Analysis of delay times of hemagglutinin-mediated fusion between influenza virus and cell membranes

We have studied the kinetics of low pH-induced fusion between influenza virus A/PR 8/34 and human erythrocyte membranes in suspension by using an assay based on fluorescence dequenching (FDQ) of the lipophilic dye octadecylrhodamine B chloride (R 18). As shown previously (Clague et al. 1991) the onset of FDQ is preceded by a characteristic lag time (tlag) following pH reduction. Whereas tlag represents only a subpopulation of fusing viruses with the shortest delay time we suggest here that a representative mean lag time mu lag of virus-cell fusion can be deduced from the R 18-assay. Kinetics of FDQ reflects the cumulative distribution function of lag times tau lag of single fusion events with the mean value mu lag. We show that tau lag obtained from the onset of FDQ does not always reflect the fusion behaviour of the whole population of fusing viruses. While both lag times, taulag and mu lag, exhibit a similar temperature dependence we found a significantly different dependence of both delay times on virus inactivation by low pH-pretreatment. We conclude that the mean lag time mu lag appears to be a more appropriate parameter describing the kinetics of virus-cell fusion. The analysis of delay times offers a new approach to test the validity of different kinetic models of HA-mediated fusion and to gain valuable information about HA-mediated fusion. The analysis confirms that the inactivation process proceeds via steps of the formation of the fusion pore. Although the increase of lag times can be explained by a depletion of fusion competent HA's, our data suggest that intermediate structures of HA along the inactivation pathway can still transform into a fusion site.

Biological function of the low-pH, fusion-inactive conformation of rabies virus glycoprotein (G): G is transported in a fusion-inactive state-like conformation

The glycoprotein (G) of rabies virus can assume at least three different conformations: the native (N) state detected at the viral surface above pH 7; the activated (A) hydrophobic state, which is probably involved in the first steps of the fusion process; and the fusion-inactive (I) conformation. There is a pH-dependent equilibrium between these states, the equilibrium being shifted towards the I state at low pH. It has been supposed that the transition from the N to the I state mediates membrane fusion. By using a lipid-mixing assay, we studied the kinetics of fusion and fusion inactivation for two rabies virus strains, PV and CVS. In addition, by using electron microscopy and a trypsin sensitivity assay, we analyzed the kinetics of the conformational change towards the I state for both strains. Although the PV strain fuses faster, inactivation and the conformational change of PV G occur more slowly than for the CVS strain. This suggests that the structural transition towards the I state is irrelevant to the fusion process. Immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation experiments performed with infected cells and two different monoclonal antibodies, one specific for the N form of G and one which recognizes both the N and the I states, suggest that G is transported in an I state-like conformation through the Golgi apparatus and acquires its N structure only near or at the cell surface. We propose that the role of the I state is to avoid unspecific fusion during transport of G in the acidic Golgi vesicles.

Photolabeling identifies a putative fusion domain in the envelope glycoprotein of rabies and vesicular stomatitis viruses

Vesicular stomatitis and rabies viruses enter cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis, followed by fusion of the viral with the endosomal membrane. The latter step is catalyzed by the viral envelope glycoprotein, which, in the low pH environment of the endosome, undergoes a conformational transition to a fusion-competent state. To investigate whether fusion competence involves the low pH exposure of a hydrophobic fusion region(s), we have applied hydrophobic photolabeling using the recently developed phospholipid analogue 1-O-hexadecanoyl-2-O-[9-[[[2-[125I]iodo-4-(trifluoromethyl-3H- diazirin-3-yl)benzyl]oxy]carbonyl] nonanoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine ([125I]TID-PC/16) (Weber, T., and Brunner, J. (1995) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 117, 3084-3095). Rosettes of rabies virus glycoprotein, whole rabies virus, or vesicular stomatitis virus were incubated with large unilamellar vesicles containing [125I]TID-PC/16. Following reagent activation, the labeled glycoprotein was isolated and analyzed. In all cases, labeling of the glycoprotein strongly increased as the pH was lowered from 7.0 to 6.0, suggesting the exposure at acidic pH of a domain capable of interacting with membranes. To identify the labeled region(s), CNBr fragments were generated and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide followed by autoradiography. In rabies glycoprotein, the labeled segment was found to be contained within fragment RCr5 (residues 103-179). Glycoprotein from vesicular stomatitis virus was labeled within fragment VCr1 (residues 59-221). These results demonstrate that rhabdovirus glycoprotein contains a domain that at low pH is capable of interacting with a target membrane in a hydrophobic manner. This domain may play a role similar to that of the fusion peptide found in many other viral fusion proteins.

Target cell membrane sialic acid modulates both binding and fusion activity of influenza virus

Influenza virus binds to cell surface sialic acid receptors, and following endocytosis fuses with the endosome membrane at low pH. Whether sialic acid plays a role in the virus-cell membrane fusion step is not known. We investigated the effect of the removal of cell membrane sialic acid on the fusion activity of influenza virus (A/PR/8/34 strain) toward human T lymphocytic leukemia (CEM) cells at low pH. Fusion was monitored by fluorescence dequenching of octadecylrhodamine incorporated in the virus membrane. Removal of sialic acid by neuraminidase resulted in a drastic reduction in both viral binding and fusion. The association of the virus with neuraminidase-treated cells was enhanced at pH 5, compared to that at neutral pH, probably due to the unfolding of the hemagglutinin and the resulting increase in viral surface hydrophobicity, but the fusion capacity of the virus was reduced significantly. The results were analysed with a mass-action kinetic model which could explain and predict the kinetics of fusion. Our results indicate that binding of influenza virus to sialic acid residues on the cell surface leads to rapid and extensive fusion and partially inhibits the low pH-induced viral inactivation.

Requirement for vacuolar proton-ATPase activity during entry of influenza virus into cells

The role that endosomal acidification plays during influenza virus entry into MDCK cells has been analyzed by using the macrolide antibiotics bafilomycin A1 and concanamycin A as selective inhibitors of vacuolar proton-ATPase (v-[H+]ATPase), the enzyme responsible for the acidification of endosomes. Bafilomycin A1 and concanamycin A, present at the low concentrations of 5 x 10(-7) and 5 x 10(-9) M, respectively, prevented the entry of influenza virus into cells when added during the first minutes of infection. Attachment of virion particles to the cell surface was not the target for the action of bafilomycin A1. N,N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, a nonspecific inhibitor of proton-ATPases, also blocked virus entry, whereas elaiophylin, an inhibitor of the plasma-proton ATPase, had no effect. The inhibitory actions of bafilomycin A1 and concanamycin A were tested in culture medium at different pHs. Both antibiotics powerfully prevented influenza virus infection when the virus was added under low-pH conditions. This inhibition was reduced if the virus was bound to cells at 4 degrees C prior to the addition of warm low-pH medium. Moreover, incubation of cells at acidic pH potently blocked influenza virus infection, even in the absence of antibiotics. These results indicate that a pH gradient, rather than low pH, is necessary for efficient entry of influenza virus into cells.

Structural characterization of viral fusion proteins

Infection by enveloped viruses is initiated by the fusion of viral and cellular membranes. In many cases, the viral membrane proteins that mediate fusion must undergo conformational changes to become active. Influenza hemagglutinin, for example, is activated by a dramatic conformational rearrangement, triggered by the low pH of the intracellular compartment in which fusion occurs. Structural characterization of this rearrangement has led to a reconsideration of how hemagglutinin mediates membrane fusion.

Gene therapy in heart disease

As the technology for gene therapy develops in vitro and in vivo in animal models, it is becoming clear that the three principal approaches--recombinant retroviruses, recombinant adenovirus, and direct DNA delivery--will ultimately have applications in specific therapeutic situations that take full advantage of the unique features of the specific delivery system: low level persistent expression after ex vivo recombinant retroviral therapy, high level transient expression after in vivo recombinant adenoviral therapy, or moderate level transient expression after in vivo administration of a synthetic DNA complex, which in principle could be repeated as desired.

Fusion between Newcastle disease virus and erythrocyte ghosts using octadecyl Rhodamine B fluorescence assay produces dequenching curves that fit the sum of two exponentials

The kinetics of fusion between Newcastle disease virus and erythrocyte ghosts has been investigated with the octadecyl Rhodamine B chloride assay [Hoekstra, De Boer, Klappe, and Wilschut (1984) Biochemistry 23, 5675-5681], and the data from the dequenching curves were fitted by non-linear regression to currently used kinetic models. We used direct computer-assisted fitting of the dequenching curves to the mathematical equations. Discrimination between models was performed by statistical analysis of different fits. The experimental data fit the exponential model previously published [Nir, Klappe, and Hoekstra (1986) Biochemistry 25, 2155-2161] but we describe for the first time that the best fit was achieved for the sum of two exponential terms: A1[1-exp(-k1t)]+A2[1-exp(-k2t)]. The first exponential term represents a fast reaction and the second a slow dequenching reaction. These findings reveal the existence of two independent, but simultaneous, processes during the fusion assay. In order to challenge the model and to understand the meaning of both equation, fusion experiments were carried out under different conditions well known to affect viral fusion (changes in pH, temperature and ghost concentration, and the presence of disulphide-reducing agents or inhibitors of viral neuraminidase activity), and the same computer fitting scheme was followed. The first exponential equation represents the viral protein-dependent fusion process itself, because it is affected by the assay conditions. The second exponential equation accounts for a nonspecific reaction, because it is completely independent of the assay conditions and hence of the viral proteins. An interpretation of this second process is discussed in terms of probe transfer between vesicles.

Role of hydrophobic interactions in the fusion activity of influenza and Sendai viruses towards model membranes

We have studied the role of hydrophobic interactions in the fusion activity of two lipid enveloped viruses, influenza and Sendai. Using the fluorescent probe ANS (1-aminonaphtalene-8-sulfonate) we have shown that low-pH-dependent influenza virus activation involves a marked increase in the viral envelope hydrophobicity. The effect of dehydrating agents on the fusion activity of both viruses towards model lipid membranes was studied using a fluorescence dequenching assay. Dehydrating agents such as dimethylsulfoxide and dimethylsulfone greatly enhanced the initial rate of the fusion process, the effect of dimethylsulfone doubling that of dimethylsulfoxide. The effect of poly(ethylene glycol) on the fusion process was found to be dependent on the polymer concentration and molecular weight. In general, similar observations were made for both viruses. These results stress the importance of dehydration and hydrophobic interactions in the fusion activity of influenza and Sendai viruses, and show that these factors may be generally involved in membrane fusion events mediated by many other lipid enveloped viruses.