Open AccessThe Influenza C Virus CM2 Protein Can Alter Intracellular pH, and Its Transmembrane Domain Can Substitute for That of the Influenza A Virus M2 Protein and Support Infectious Virus Production
Author(s) -
Shaun Stewart,
Andrew Pekosz
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.05681-11
Subject(s) - biology , virus , vp40 , virology , transmembrane protein , influenza a virus , transmembrane domain , complementary dna , orthomyxoviridae , viral matrix protein , extracellular , biochemistry , amino acid , gene , receptor
The influenza C virus CM2 protein and a chimeric influenza A virus M2 protein (MCM) containing the CM2 transmembrane domain were assessed for their ability to functionally replace the M2 protein. While all three proteins could alter cytosolic pH to various degrees when expressed from cDNA, only M2 and MCM could at least partially restore infectious virus production to M2-deficient influenza A viruses. The data suggest that while the CM2 ion channel activity is similar to that of M2, sequences in the extracellular and/or cytoplasmic domains play important roles in infectious virus production.