Varicella-Zoster Virus gB and gE Coexpression, but Not gB or gE Alone, Leads to Abundant Fusion and Syncytium Formation Equivalent to Those from gH and gL Coexpression

Lucie Maresova; Tracy Jo Pasieka; Charles Grose

doi:10.1128/JVI.75.19.9483-9492.2001

Back

Varicella-Zoster Virus gB and gE Coexpression, but Not gB or gE Alone, Leads to Abundant Fusion and Syncytium Formation Equivalent to Those from gH and gL Coexpression

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Varicella-Zoster Virus gB and gE Coexpression, but Not gB or gE Alone, Leads to Abundant Fusion and Syncytium Formation Equivalent to Those from gH and gL Coexpression

Lucie Maresova, Tracy Jo Pasieka and Charles Grose

Journal of virology, Vol.75(19), pp.9483-9492

10/2001

DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.19.9483-9492.2001

PMCID: PMC114515

PMID: 11533210

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.75.19.9483-9492.2001View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is distinguished from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) by the fact that cell-to-cell fusion and syncytium formation require only gH and gL within a transient-expression system. In the HSV system, four glycoproteins, namely, gH, gL, gB, and gD, are required to induce a similar fusogenic event. VZV lacks a gD homologous protein. In this report, the role of VZV gB as a fusogen was investigated and compared to the gH-gL complex. First of all, the VZV gH-gL experiment was repeated under a different set of conditions; namely, gH and gL were cloned into the same vaccinia virus (VV) genome. Surprisingly, the new expression system demonstrated that a recombinant VV-gH+gL construct was even more fusogenic than seen in the prior experiment with two individual expression plasmids containing gH and gL (K. M. Duus and C. Grose, J. Virol. 70:8961–8971, 1996). Recombinant VV expressing VZV gB by itself, however, effected the formation of only small syncytia. When VZV gE and gB genes were cloned into one recombinant VV genome and another fusion assay was performed, extensive syncytium formation was observed. The degree of fusion with VZV gE-gB coexpression was comparable to that observed with VZV gH-gL: in both cases, >80% of the cells in a monolayer were fused. Thus, these studies established that VZV gE-gB coexpression greatly enhanced the fusogenic properties of gB. Control experiments documented that the fusion assay required a balance between the fusogenic potential of the VZV glycoproteins and the fusion-inhibitory effect of the VV infection itself.

Structure and Assembly

Details

Title: Subtitle: Varicella-Zoster Virus gB and gE Coexpression, but Not gB or gE Alone, Leads to Abundant Fusion and Syncytium Formation Equivalent to Those from gH and gL Coexpression
Creators: Lucie Maresova - Departments of Microbiology and Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Tracy Jo Pasieka - Departments of Microbiology and Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Charles Grose - Departments of Microbiology and Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of virology, Vol.75(19), pp.9483-9492
DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.19.9483-9492.2001
PMID: 11533210
PMCID: PMC114515
NLM abbreviation: J Virol
ISSN: 0022-538X
eISSN: 1098-5514
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Language: English
Date published: 10/2001
Academic Unit: Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Infectious Disease (Pediatrics)
Record Identifier: 9984093367002771

Metrics

16 Record Views

54 Times Cited - Web of Science