Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Entry of Enveloped Viruses
Virus infections are a major cause of diseases and death among men and animals. The recent outbreak of SARS and the danger that an avian influenza virus may become pandemic, have clearly shown that members of any virus family can potentially turn into a pathogen. To combat virus infection and propagation, systematic and comprehensive studies both on viral components mediating virus-cell interactions, and on the cell biology behind virus entry are necessary. Our network, teaming academic and industrial groups, is aimed at undertaking an interdisciplinary effort to reveal the diversity of pathways and associated molecular mechanisms of cell entry of enveloped viruses. Research by experimental and theoretical approaches will be directed towards the identification of cellular receptors and of viral fusion proteins responsible for interaction with host cells. Among topics are folding, three-dimensional structure and conformational changes of viral fusion proteins as well as virus triggered signalling cascades in cells. Biophysical approaches will unravel the relationship between energetics of conformational changes of viral proteins and membrane bending and fusion. Together with industrial partners the project will identify potential targets for designed drug development, and will develop virus protein coated nanoparticles as new biotechnological and medical tools.
Beteiligte externe Organisationen
Mittelgeber
Laufzeit
Projektstart: 10/2009
Projektende: 09/2013
Publikationen
EU Virus Entry
Veit, M, Engel, S., Thaa, B., Scolari, S., Herrmann, A. (2013) Lipid domain association of influenza virus proteins detected by dynamic fluorescence microscopy techniques. Cellular Microbiol. 15, 179–189
Mair, C.M., Meyer, T., Schneider, K., Huang, Q., Veit, M., Herrmann, A. (2014) A histidine residue of the influenza virus hemagglutinin controls the pH dependence of the conformational change mediating membrane fusion. J. Virol., 88, 13189-13200.
Gramatica, A., Petazzi, R.A., Lehmann, M., Ziomkowska, J., Herrmann, A., Chiantia, S. (2014) Env decorated Phosphatidylserine Liposomes Trigger Phagocytosis of HIV-virus-like Particles in Macrophages. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine, 10, 981-989.
Mair, C., Sieben, C., Ludwig, K., Herrmann, A. (2014) Receptor Binding and pH stability - How Influenza A virus hemagglutinin affects host-specific virus infection. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1838, 1153-1168
Petazzi, R.A., Gramatica, A., Herrmann, A., Chiantia, S. (2015) Time-controlled phagocytosis of asymmetric liposomes: application to phosphatidylserine immunoliposomes binding HIV-1 virus-like particles. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine, 11, 1985-92
Scolari, S., Imkeller, K., Jolmes, F., Veit, M., Herrmann, A., Schwarzer, R. (2016) Modulation of cell surface transport and lipid raft localization by the cytoplasmic tail of the Influenza virus hemagglutinin. Cell. Microbiol. 18,125-136.