The glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus promotes release of virus-like particles from tetherin-positive cells

PLoS One. 2017 Dec 7;12(12):e0189073. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189073. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) release from infected cells is inhibited by the interferon (IFN)-inducible antiviral host cell factor tetherin (BST-2, CD317). However, several viruses encode tetherin antagonists and it is at present unknown whether residual VSV spread in tetherin-positive cells is also promoted by a virus-encoded tetherin antagonist. Here, we show that the viral glycoprotein (VSV-G) antagonizes tetherin in transfected cells, although with reduced efficiency as compared to the HIV-1 Vpu protein. Tetherin antagonism did not involve alteration of tetherin expression and was partially dependent on a GXXXG motif in the transmembrane domain of VSV-G. However, mutation of the GXXXG motif did not modulate tetherin sensitivity of infectious VSV. These results identify VSV-G as a tetherin antagonist in transfected cells but fail to provide evidence for a contribution of tetherin antagonism to viral spread.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Stromal Antigen 2 / immunology
  • Bone Marrow Stromal Antigen 2 / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / immunology
  • Humans
  • Swine
  • Vesiculovirus / metabolism*
  • Viral Proteins / physiology*
  • Virion / physiology*

Substances

  • Bone Marrow Stromal Antigen 2
  • Viral Proteins
  • GTP-Binding Proteins

Grants and funding

Funding has been obtained from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, PO -716/8-1). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.