Pixuna virus modifies host cell cytoskeleton to secure infection

GIL, PEDRO IGNACIO; ALBRIEU-LLINÁS, GUILLERMO; MLEWSKI, ESTELA CECILIA; MONETTI, MARINA; FOZZATTI, LAURA; CUFFINI, CECILIA; FERNÁNDEZ ROMERO, JOSÉ; PAGLINI, MARÍA GABRIELA; KUNDA, PATRICIA

Scientific Reports

Nature

Año: 2017 vol. 7

Pixuna virus (PIXV) is an enzootic member of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus complex andbelongs to the New World cluster of alphaviruses. Herein we explore the role of the cellular cytoskeletonduring PIXV replication. We rst identi ed that PIXV undergoes an eclipse phase consisting of 4 hfollowed by 20 h of an exponential phase in Vero cells. The infected cells showed morphological changesdue to structural modi cations in actin micro laments (MFs) and microtubules (MTs). Cytoskeleton-binding agents, that alter the architecture and dynamics of MFs and MTs, were used to study the roleof cytoskeleton on PIXV replication. The virus production was signi cantly a ected (p < 0.05) aftertreatment with paclitaxel or nocodazole due to changes in the MTs network. Interestingly, disassemblyof MFs with cytochalasin D, at early stage of PIXV replication cycle, signi cantly increased the virusyields in the extracellular medium (p < 0.005). Furthermore, the stabilization of actin network withjasplakinolide had no e ect on virus yields. Our results demonstrate that PIXV relies not only on intactMTs for the e cient production of virus, but also on a dynamic actin network during the early steps ofviral replication.