Structural basis for membrane fusion by enveloped viruses.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Structural basis for membrane fusion by enveloped viruses.

Mol Membr Biol. 1999 Jan-Mar;16(1):3-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99265136
Weissenhorn W; Dessen A; Calder LJ; Harrison SC; Skehel JJ; Wiley DC; Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; 02215, USA. weissen@embl-grenoble.fr

Abstract: Enveloped viruses such as HIV-1, influenza virus, and Ebola virus express a surface glycoprotein that mediates both cell attachment and fusion of viral and cellular membranes. The membrane fusion process leads to the release of viral proteins and the RNA genome into the host cell, initiating an infectious cycle. This review focuses on the HIV-1 gp41 membrane fusion protein and discusses the structural similarities of viral membrane fusion proteins from diverse families such as Retroviridae (HIV-1), Orthomyxoviridae (influenza virus), and Filoviridae (Ebola virus). Their structural organization suggests that they have all evolved to use a similar strategy to promote fusion of viral and cellular membranes. This observation led to the proposal of a general model for viral membrane fusion, which will be discussed in detail.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL Animal Ebola Virus/CHEMISTRY Human HIV Envelope Protein gp41/CHEMISTRY Membrane Fusion/*PHYSIOLOGY Membrane Proteins/PHYSIOLOGY Models, Biological Models, Molecular Moloney Leukemia Virus/CHEMISTRY Orthomyxoviridae/CHEMISTRY Protein Conformation Viral Envelope Proteins/*PHYSIOLOGY
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A99A0936

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