Sendai virus envelope glycoproteins become laterally mobile on the surface of human erythrocytes following fusion

Fluorescence photobleaching recovery has been employed to study the lateral mobility of the Sendai virus envelope glycoproteins (HN, neuraminidase/hemagglutinin protein (HN) fusion protein (F) on the surface of human erythrocytes. Our results indicate that the two viral glycoproteins are laterally immobile on the cell surface prior to fusion, and become mobile during the fusion process. The two fused glycoproteins are mobilized to the same extent (diffusion coefficients of 3.1-3.3 X 10(-10) cm2/sec with mobile fractions of 0.53-0.57 for both HN and F). Their mobilization is blocked under conditions that allow virus adsorption and hemagglutination, but not virus-cell or cell-cell fusion. These findings suggest a possible role for the lateral diffusion of the viral glycoproteins in the mechanism of cell-cell fusion, enabling them to perturb the membranes of adjacent cells and lead to cell-cell fusion.     

Lateral mobility of reconstituted Sendai virus envelope glycoproteins on human erythrocytes: correlation with cell-cell fusion

We have recently employed fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) to demonstrate that the envelope glycoproteins of Sendai virions become laterally mobile on the surface of human erythrocytes following fusion [Henis, Y. I., Gutman, O., & Loyter, A. (1985) Exp. Cell Res. 160, 514-526]. In order to investigate whether this lateral mobilization is involved in the mechanism of virally mediated cell-cell fusion, or is merely a result of viral envelope-cell fusion, we have now performed FPR studies on erythrocytes fused with reconstituted Sendai virus envelopes (RSVE). These RSVE, which were prepared by solubilization of Sendai virions with Triton X-100 followed by removal of the detergent through adsorption to SM-2 Bio-beads, fused with human erythrocytes as efficiently as native virions but induced cell-cell fusion to a much lower degree. The fraction of the viral envelope glycoproteins that became laterally mobile in the erythrocyte membrane following fusion was markedly lower in the case of RSVE than in the case of native virions. The lower cell-cell fusion activity of the RSVE does not appear to be due to inactivation of the viral fusion protein, since the envelope-cell fusion and hemolytic activities of the RSVE were similar to those of native virions. Moreover, fusion with RSVE or with native virions resulted in the incorporation of rather similar amounts of viral glycoproteins into the cell membrane. Since the reduced fraction of laterally mobile viral glycoproteins correlates with the lower cell-cell fusion activity of the RSVE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Lateral mobility of both envelope proteins (F and HN) of Sendai virus in the cell membrane is essential for cell-cell fusion

Fluorescence photobleaching recovery was employed to study the effects of specific immobilization of Sendai virus envelope glycoproteins (F, the fusion protein, and HN, the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase) on the virally mediated fusion of human erythrocytes. Lateral immobilization of varying fractions of F and/or HN (after virus adsorption and hemagglutination, but before fusion) was achieved by cross-linking them with succinyl concanavalin A (inhibiting both F and HN) or with specific rabbit IgG directed against either F or HN. Alternatively, agglutinated cells were treated with low concentrations of the above proteins (inducing only minor inhibition of either mobility or fusion), and immobilization of F and/or HN was induced by cross-linking with a secondary antibody; this protocol ensured a minimal contribution of direct binding to the viral proteins to the inhibition of fusion. Our results demonstrate that lateral immobilization of either F or HN results in a strong inhibition of cell-cell fusion and a much weaker inhibition of virus-cell fusion. The level of cell-cell fusion was directly correlated with the level of laterally mobile viral glycoproteins in the cell membrane (either F or HN). We conclude that lateral mobility of both F and HN in the red cell membrane is essential for cell-cell fusion and that not only F but also HN has a role in this fusion event. The possible reasons for the different dependence of cell-cell and virus-cell fusion on viral glycoprotein mobility are discussed.     

Kinetic modeling of Sendai virus fusion with PC-12 cells. Effect of pH and temperature on fusion and viral inactivation.

We have studied the fusion activity of Sendai virus, a lipid-enveloped paramyxovirus, towards a line of adherent cells designated PC-12. Fusion was monitored by the dequenching of octadecyl-rhodamine, a fluorescent non-exchangeable probe. The results were analysed with a mass action kinetic model which could explain and predict the kinetics of virus-cell fusion. When the temperature was lowered from 37 degrees C to 25 degrees C, a sharp inhibition of the fusion process was observed, probably reflecting a constraint in the movement of viral glycoproteins at low temperatures. The rate constants of adhesion and fusion were reduced 3.5-fold and 7-fold, respectively, as the temperature was lowered from 37 degrees C to 25 degrees C. The fusion process seemed essentially pH-independent, unlike the case of liposomes and erythrocyte ghosts. Preincubation of the virus in the absence of target cell membranes at neutral and alkaline pH (37 degrees C, 30 min) did not affect the fusion process. However, a similar preincubation of the virus at pH = 5.0 resulted in marked, though slow, inhibition in fusion with the fusion rate constant being reduced 8-fold. Viral preincubation for 5 min in the same acidic conditions yielded a mild inhibition of fusogenic activity, while preincubation in the cold (4 degrees C, 30 min) did not alter viral fusion activity. These acid-induced inhibitory effects could not be fully reversed by further viral preincubation at pH = 7.4 (37 degrees C, 30 min). Changes in internal pH as well as endocytic activity of PC-12 cells had small effect on the fusion process, thus indicating that Sendai virus fuses primarily with the plasma membranes.     

Interaction of Sendai virions with resealed human erythrocyte ghosts. Lateral mobility of the viral glycoproteins in the cell membrane following fusion

Two independent methods demonstrated that resealed human erythrocyte ghosts undergo Sendai virus-mediated cell-cell fusion to a much lower degree (about 4%) than intact erythrocytes, in spite of similar levels of viral envelope-cell fusion in the two preparations. Fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) showed similar lateral mobilities of the viral glycoproteins following fusion with either ghosts or whole erythrocytes. It is suggested that although viral glycoprotein mobilization in the cell membrane is essential for cell-cell fusion, the target cell properties are also important; in the absence of the required cellular parameters, the mobilization may not be a sufficient condition.     

Fluorescence photobleaching recovery as a method to quantitate viral envelope-cell fusion: application to study fusion of Sendai virus envelopes with cells

A method to quantitate viral envelope-cell fusion at the single-cell level is presented. The method is based on the incorporation of nonquenching concentrations of a fluorescent lipid probe into the viral envelope; fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) is then applied to measure the lateral mobilization of the probe in the cell membrane following fusion. In adsorbed (unfused) viral envelopes, the probe is constricted to the envelope and is laterally immobile on the micrometer scale of FPR. After fusion, the envelope lipids intermix with the plasma membrane, the probe becomes laterally mobile, and the fraction of fused viral envelopes can be extracted from the fraction of mobile probe molecules. The method has several advantages: (i) It clearly distinguishes fused from internalized envelopes, as probes in the latter are immobile in FPR studies; (ii) focusing the laser beam on specific regions of the cell enables region-specific measurements of the fusion level; (iii) one cell is measured at a time, enabling studies on the distribution of the fusion level within the cell population. The new method was employed to study fusion of reconstituted Sendai virus envelopes (RSVE) containing N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)phosphatidylethanolamine with several cell types. Experiments with human erythrocytes demonstrated that the lateral mobilization measured is due to fusion and not the result of exchange processes. The extent of RSVE-erythrocyte fusion determined by FPR was similar to that measured by two other independent methods (fluorescence dequenching and removal of adsorbed RSVE by dithiothreitol).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

C-terminal tyrosine residues modulate the fusion activity of the Hendra virus fusion protein

The paramyxovirus family includes important human pathogens such as measles, mumps, respiratory syncytial virus, and the recently emerged, highly pathogenic Hendra and Nipah viruses. The viral fusion (F) protein plays critical roles in infection, promoting both the virus-cell membrane fusion events needed for viral entry as well as cell-cell fusion events leading to syncytia formation. We describe the surprising finding that addition of the short epitope HA tag to the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of the Hendra virus F protein leads to a significant increase in the extent of cell-cell membrane fusion. This increase was not due to alterations in surface expression, cleavage state, or association with lipid microdomains. Addition of a Myc tag of similar length did not alter Hendra F protein fusion activity, indicating that the observed stimulation was not solely a result of lengthening the CT. Three tyrosine residues within the HA tag were critical for the increase in the extent of fusion, suggesting C-terminal tyrosines may modulate Hendra fusion activity. The effects of addition of the HA tag varied with other fusion proteins, as parainfluenza virus 5 F-HA showed a decreased level of surface expression and no stimulation of fusion. These results indicate that additions to the C-terminal end of the F protein CT can modulate protein function in a sequence specific manner, reinforcing the need for careful analysis of epitope-tagged glycoproteins. In addition, our results implicate C-terminal tyrosine residues in the modulation of the membrane fusion reaction promoted by these viral glycoproteins.     

Sendai virus-erythrocyte membrane interaction: quantitative and kinetic analysis of viral binding, dissociation, and fusion.

A kinetic and quantitative analysis of the binding and fusion of Sendai virus with erythrocyte membranes was performed by using a membrane fusion assay based on the relief of fluorescence self-quenching. At 37 degrees C, the process of virus association displayed a half time of 2.5 min; at 4 degrees C, the half time was 3.0 min. The fraction of the viral dose which became cell associated was independent of the incubation temperature and increased with increasing target membrane concentration. On the average, one erythrocyte ghost can accommodate ca. 1,200 Sendai virus particles. The stability of viral attachment was sensitive to a shift in temperature: a fraction of the virions (ca. 30%), attached at 4 degrees C, rapidly (half time, ca. 2.5 min) eluted from the cell surface at 37 degrees C, irrespective of the presence of free virus in the medium. The elution can be attributed to a spontaneous, temperature-induced release, rather than to viral neuraminidase activity. Competition experiments with nonlabeled virus revealed that viruses destined to fuse do not exchange with free particles in the medium but rather bind in a rapid and irreversible manner. The fusion rate of Sendai virus was affected by the density of the virus particles on the cell surface and became restrained when more than 170 virus particles were attached per ghost. In principle, all virus particles added displayed fusion activity. However, at high virus-to-ghost ratios, only a fraction actually fused, indicating that a limited number of fusion sites exist on the erythrocyte membrane. We estimate that ca. 180 virus particles maximally can fuse with one erythrocyte ghost.     

The role of the target membrane structure in fusion with Sendai virus

Fusion between membranes of Sendai virus and liposomes or human erythrocytes ghosts was studied using an assay for lipid mixing based on the relief of self-quenching of octadecylrhodamine (R18) fluorescence. We considered only viral fusion that reflects the biological activity of the viral spike glycoproteins. The liposomes were made of phosphatidylcholine, and the effects of including cholesterol, the sialoglycolipid GD1a, and/or the sialoglycoprotein glycophorin as receptors were tested. Binding of Sendai virus to those liposomes at 37 degrees C was very weak. Fusion with the erythrocyte membranes occurred at a 30-fold faster rate than with the liposomes. Experiments with biological and liposomal targets of different size indicated that size did not account for differences in fusion efficiency.     

Kinetics and extent of fusion between Sendai virus and erythrocyte ghosts: application of a mass action kinetic model

The kinetics and extent of fusion between Sendai virus and erythrocyte ghosts were investigated with an assay for lipid mixing based on the relief of self-quenching of fluorescence. The results were analyzed in terms of a mass action kinetic model, which views the overall fusion reaction as a sequence of a second-order process of virus-cell adhesion followed by the first-order fusion reaction itself. The fluorescence development during the course of the fusion process was calculated by numerical integration, employing separate rate constants for the adhesion step and for the subsequent fusion reaction. Dissociation of virus particles from the cells was found to be of minor importance when fusion was initiated by mixing the particles at 37 degrees C. However, besides the initiation of fusion, extensive dissociation does occur after a preincubation of a concentrated suspension of particles at 4 degrees C followed by a transfer of the sample to 37 degrees C. The conclusion drawn from the levels of fluorescence increase obtained after 20 h of incubation is that in principle most virus particles can fuse with the ghosts at 37 degrees C and pH 7.4. However, the number of Sendai virus particles that actually fuse with a single ghost is limited to 100-200, despite the fact more than 1000 particles can bind to one cell. This finding may imply that 100-200 specific fusion sites for Sendai virus exist on the erythrocyte membrane. A simple equation can yield predictions for the final levels of fluorescence for a wide range of ratios of virus particles to ghosts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Morphological changes in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells during the cell fusion reaction with HVJ (Sendai virus). III. Morphological characterization of HVJ glycoproteins integrated into the plasma membrane and their internalization by coated vesicles

On cell-cell fusion of Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells with HVJ, HVJ envelopes also fuse with the cell membrane, resulting in integration of the viral envelope glycoproteins into the fused cell membranes. Morphological characterization of the glycoproteins in the plasma membrane and the mode of their internalization were investigated in detail. In the fusion reaction, the glycoproteins were rapidly integrated into the cell membrane within 2 or 3 min on incubation at 37 °C and they remained at the fusion sites, not dispersing widely, during further incubation. Thus they were still present in clusters in the plasma membrane at the end of the fusion reaction. On culture of fused cells in culture medium, internalization of the viral glycoproteins was initiated by formation of coated vesicles and most of the integrated glycoproteins were endocytosed into the cytoplasm within 30 min. Soon after internalization, the coated vesicles fused with each other, losing their coat materials. The intact virions that remained unfused on the cell surface were also internalized, but coat materials did not appear on the inside surface of the cell membrane, unlike in the case of integrated glycoproteins.     

Rotational mobility of Sendai virus glycoproteins in membranes of fused human erythrocytes and in the envelopes of cell-bound virions

The rotational mobility of Sendai virus envelope glycoproteins (F, the fusion protein, and HN, the hemagglutinin/neuraminidase) was determined by using erythrosin (ER)-labeled monovalent Fab' antibody fragments directed specifically against either F or HN. By use of time-resolved phosphorescence anisotropy, the rotational mobility of Er-Fab'-viral glycoprotein complexes was studied both in the envelopes of unfused virions bound to erythrocyte ghosts and in the target cell membrane after fusion had occurred. The rotational correlation times (phi) of Er-Fab'-labeled F and HN were rather similar in the envelopes of bound unfused virions, but highly different in membranes of fused cells. The different phi values indicate that F and HN diffuse separately in the target cell membrane and for the major part are not complexed together. The temperature dependence of the phi values of the Er-Fab'-viral glycoprotein complexes revealed a breakpoint at 22 degrees C for the F protein both in bound virions and in the membranes of fused cells, and for the HN proteins in the envelopes of bound virions. In all these cases, the phi values increased between 4 and 22 degrees C, demonstrating a reduction in the rate of rotational diffusion. Further elevation of the temperature reversed the direction of the change in phi. This phenomenon may reflect a temperature-dependent microaggregation of F and HN saturating at ca. 22 degrees C and presumably related to the fusion mechanism since the breakpoint temperature correlates closely with the threshold temperature for virus-cell and cell-cell fusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mechanism of fusion of Sendai virus: role of hydrophobic interactions and mobility constraints of viral membrane proteins. Effects of polyethylene glycol

The mechanism of Sendai virus fusion was investigated by studying the effect of the dehydrating agent polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the interaction of the virus with erythrocyte membranes. The initial rate of virus fusion, monitored continuously by a fluorescence membrane fusion assay, increases approximately 5-fold in the presence of small amounts (4%, w/v) of PEG. The polymer did not trigger a massive nonspecific fusion event, as the limited number of virus particles that fuse per erythrocyte ghost remains unaltered. A mass action kinetic analysis reveals that the binding rate constant increases approximately 1.5-fold; however, the fusion rate constant is enhanced by about an order of magnitude. The results demonstrate that hydrophobic interaction forces dominate the actual fusion step of the virus. Below about 22 degrees C, the viral membrane proteins appear to be clustered, as revealed by temperature-dependent fluorescence measurements of fluorescently tagged viral proteins. Clustering is not modulated by the presence of PEG, and fusion at those conditions is not observed. It is concluded that in addition to hydrophobic interactions, constraints in the mobility of the viral membrane proteins codetermine the fusogenic capacity of the virus. Such constraints have to be relieved in order to allow the occurrence of the hydrophobic interactions. PEG primarily affects the surface properties of the viral membrane, including the properties of the membrane glycoproteins. We hypothesize that during virus-target membrane interaction but prior to the actual fusion reaction, the fusion protein may undergo a conformational change, triggered by an enhancement in hydrophobic environment, which accounts for the need to establish close, i.e. fusion-susceptible intermembrane contact between virus and target membrane.     

Characterization of the fusogenic properties of Sendai virus: kinetics of fusion with erythrocyte membranes

A novel fluorescence assay [Hoekstra, D., De Boer, T., Klappe, K., & Wilschut, J. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 5675-5681] has been used to characterize the fusogenic properties of Sendai virus, using erythrocyte ghosts and liposomes as target membranes. This assay involves the incorporation of the "fusion-reporting" probe in the viral membrane, allowing continuous monitoring of the fusion process in a very sensitive manner. Fusion was inhibited upon pretreatment of Sendai virus with trypsin. Low concentrations of the reducing agent dithiothreitol (1 mM) almost completely abolished viral fusion activity, whereas virus binding was reduced by ca. 50%, indicating that the fusogenic properties of Sendai virus are strongly dependent on the integrity of intramolecular disulfide bonds in the fusion (F) protein. Pretreatment of erythrocyte ghosts with nonlabeled Sendai virus inhibited subsequent fusion of fluorophore-labeled virus irrespective of the removal of nonbound virus, thus suggesting that the initial binding of the virus to the target membrane is largely irreversible. As a function of pH, Sendai virus displayed optimal fusion activity around pH 7.5-8.0. Preincubation of the virus at suboptimal pH values resulted in an irreversible diminishment of its fusion capacity. Since virus binding was not affected by the pH, the results are consistent with a pH-induced irreversible conformational change in the molecular structure of the F protein, occurring under mild acidic and alkaline conditions. In contrast to virus binding, fusion appeared to be strongly dependent on temperature, increasing ca. 25-fold when the temperature was raised from 23 to 37 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Temperature dependence of cell-cell fusion induced by the envelope glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

We investigated cell-cell fusion induced by the envelope glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strain IIIB expressed on the surface of CHO cells. These cells formed syncytia when incubated together with CD4-positive human lymphoblastoid SupT1 cells or HeLa-CD4 cells but not when incubated with CD4-negative cell lines. A new assay for binding and fusion was developed by using fluorescent phospholipid analogs that were produced in SupT1 cells by metabolic incorporation of BODIPY-labeled fatty acids. Fusion occurred as early as 10 min after mixing of labeled SupT1 cells with unlabeled CHO-gp160 cells at 37 degrees C. When both the fluorescence assay and formation of syncytia were used, fusion of SupT1 and HeLa-CD4 cells with CHO-gp160 cells was observed only at temperatures above 25 degrees C, confirming recent observations (Y.-K. Fu, T.K. Hart, Z.L. Jonak, and P.J. Bugelski, J. Virol. 67:3818-3825, 1993). This temperature dependence was not observed with influenza virus-induced cell-cell fusion, which was quantitatively similar at both 20 and 37 degrees C, indicating that cell-cell fusion in general is not temperature dependent in this range. gp120-CD4-specific cell-cell binding was found over the entire 0 to 37 degrees C range but increased markedly above 25 degrees C. The enhanced binding and fusion were reduced by cytochalasins B and D. Binding of soluble gp120 to CD4-expressing cells was equivalent at 37 and 16 degrees C. Together, these data indicate that during gp120-gp41-induced syncytium formation, initial cell-cell binding is followed by a cytoskeleton-dependent increase in the number of gp120-CD4 complexes, leading to an increase in the avidity of cell-cell binding. The increased number of gp120-CD4 complexes is required for fusion, which suggests that the formation of a fusion complex consisting of multiple CD4 and gp120-gp41 molecules is a step in the fusion mechanism.     

Modification of cell membranes with viral envelopes during fusion of cells with HVJ (Sendai virus).

A large number of viral materials are associated with the surface of cells after cell fusion with HVJ at 37 °C for 30 min. This is due to fusion of viral envelopes with the cell membrane. Studies were made on the process from viral adsorption to cell-cell, or cell-viral envelope fusion. On incubation at low temperatures, such as 0–15 °C, no envelope fusion or cell fusion was observed, although there was some interaction between the virus and cells. This interaction resulted in loss of hemadsorption (HA) activity of the cells and partial damage of the ion barrier of the cell membrane. The viral particles seem to come close to the lipid layer of the cell membrane at the low temperatures and to distort the non-flexible membrane structure. On incubation of the cell-virus complex at 37 °C, the cells rapidly became HA-positive and the HA activity was maximal within 5 min. At this stage there was much leakage of ions through the cell membrane. On further incubation the damage to the ion barrier of the cell membrane was repaired completely with completion of cell fusion. This process may be correlated with fusion of viral envelopes with cell membranes and restoration of the cell membrane fused with them.     

A point mutation in the binding subunit of a retroviral envelope protein arrests virus entry at hemifusion

The transmembrane subunits of viral envelope proteins are thought to perform all of the functions required for membrane fusion during entry of enveloped viruses. However, changes in a conserved SPHQ motif near the N terminus of the receptor binding subunit of a murine leukemia virus (MLV) envelope protein block infection and induction of cell-cell fusion but not receptor binding. Here we report evidence that a histidine-to-arginine change at position 8 (H8R) in the SPHQ motif of Moloney MLV blocks infection by arresting virus-cell fusion at the hemifusion state. In cell-cell fusion assays, H8R envelope protein induced mixing of membrane outer leaflet lipids but did not lead to content mixing, a finding indicative of fusion pore formation. Kinetic studies of virus-cell fusion showed that lipid mixing of H8R virus membranes begins much later than for wild-type virus. The length of the delay in lipid mixing decreased upon addition of two second-site changes that increase H8R virus infection to 100-fold less than the wild-type virus. Finally, chlorpromazine, dibucaine, and trifluoperazine, agents that induce pores in an arrested hemifusion state, rescued infection by H8R virus to within 2.5-fold of the level of wild-type virus infection and cell-cell fusion to half that mediated by wild-type envelope protein. We interpret these results to indicate that fusion progressed to the hemifusion intermediate but fusion pore formation was inhibited. These results establish that membrane fusion of Moloney MLV occurs via a hemifusion intermediate. We also interpret these findings as evidence that histidine 8 is a key switch-point residue between the receptor-induced conformation changes that expose fusion peptide and those that lead to six-helix bundle formation.     

Modification of cell membranes with viral envelopes during fusion of cells with HVJ (Sendai virus) : I. Interaction between cell membranes and virus in the early stage

A large number of viral materials are associated with the surface of cells after cell fusion with HVJ at 37 °C for 30 min. This is due to fusion of viral envelopes with the cell membrane. Studies were made on the process from viral adsorption to cell-cell, or cell-viral envelope fusion. On incubation at low temperatures, such as 0–15 °C, no envelope fusion or cell fusion was observed, although there was some interaction between the virus and cells. This interaction resulted in loss of hemadsorption (HA) activity of the cells and partial damage of the ion barrier of the cell membrane. The viral particles seem to come close to the lipid layer of the cell membrane at the low temperatures and to distort the non-flexible membrane structure. On incubation of the cell-virus complex at 37 °C, the cells rapidly became HA-positive and the HA activity was maximal within 5 min. At this stage there was much leakage of ions through the cell membrane. On further incubation the damage to the ion barrier of the cell membrane was repaired completely with completion of cell fusion. This process may be correlated with fusion of viral envelopes with cell membranes and restoration of the cell membrane fused with them.     

Characteristics of fusion of respiratory syncytial virus with HEp-2 cells as measured by R18 fluorescence dequenching assay.

The characteristics of fusion of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with HEp-2 cells were studied by the R18 fluorescence dequenching assay of membrane fusion. A gradual increase in fluorescence intensity indicative of virion-cell fusion was observed when R18-labeled RSV was incubated with HEp-2 cells. Approximately 35% dequenching of the probe fluorescence was observed in 1 h at 37 degrees C. Fusion showed a temperature dependence, with significant dequenching occurring above 18 degrees C. The dequenching was also dependent on the relative concentration of target membrane. Thus, increasing the concentration of target membrane resulted in increased levels of dequenching. In addition, viral glycoproteins were shown to be involved in this interaction, since dequenching was significantly reduced by pretreatment of labeled virus at 70 degrees C for 5 min or by trypsinization of R18-labeled virions prior to incubation with HEp-2 cells at 37 degrees C. The fusion of RSV with HEp-2 cells was unaffected over a pH range of 5.5 to 8.5, with some increase seen at lower pH values. Treatment of HEp-2 cells with ammonium chloride (20 and 10 mM), a lysosomotropic agent, during early stages of infection did not inhibit syncytium formation or progeny virion production by RSV. At the same concentrations of ammonium chloride, the production of vesicular stomatitis virus was reduced approximately 4 log10 units. These results suggest that fusion of the virus with the cell surface plasma membrane is the principal route of entry.     

Membrane fusion activity of reconstituted vesicles of influenza virus hemagglutinin glycoproteins

Reconstituted vesicles of hemagglutinin glycoproteins into egg yolk phosphatidylcholine/spin-labeled phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (molar ratio 1.6:0.4:1) were prepared by dialysis. Preparations at appropriate protein-to-lipid ratios (1:44 and 1:105 mol/mol) contained vesicles with a diameter of 100-300 nm and a high density of spikes on the surface. These vesicles showed low pH-induced membrane fusion activity. At pH 5.2 and 37 degrees C, fusion with erythrocyte membranes took place very rapidly within 1-2 min and reached a plateau at 63-66% fusion. The fusion was negligibly small at neutral pH and was induced to occur at pH values lower than 6.0. The reconstituted vesicles caused hemolysis and fusion of human erythrocyte cells in the same pH range as that of the fusion with erythrocyte membranes. The low pH-induced fusion activity of the reconstituted vesicles is essentially the same as that of the parent virus. These vesicles can be used to deliver some reagents or drugs into target cell cytoplasm via fusion at lysosomes.