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Entry of animal viruses and macromolecules into cells
Author(s) -
Carrasco Luis
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(94)00780-2
Subject(s) - endocytosis , cytoplasm , biophysics , membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , receptor , cell membrane , cell , viral entry , conformational change , cell surface receptor , virus , biology , biochemistry , virology , viral replication
The entry of animal viruses into cells is mediated by conformational changes in certain virion‐particle components. These changes are triggered by the binding of virions to receptors and are influenced by low pH during receptor‐mediated endocytosis. These conformational alterations promote the interaction of some viral proteins with cellular membranes thereby leading to transient pore formation and the disruption of ionic and pH gradients. The entry of toxins that do not possess receptors on the cell surface is promoted during the translocation of the virus genome or the nucleocapsid to the cytoplasm. A model is now presented which indicates that efficient virus translocation through cellular membranes requires energy, that may be generated by a protonmotive force. The entry of some animal viruses, as promoted by low pH, should thus only take place when a pH gradient and/or a membrane potential exist, but will not take place if these are dissipated, even if virion particles are present in an acidic enviroment.