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; KUNDA, PATRICIA; PAGLINI, MARÍA GABRIELA

Scientific Reports

Nature

Año: 2017 vol. 7

Pixuna virus (PIXV) is an enzootic member of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus complex, which belongs to the ?New World? cluster of the genus Alphavirus. The goal of this study was to explore the role of the cellular cytoskeleton during PIXV replication process. We first identified that PIXV undergoes an eclipse phase consisting of 4 h followed by 20 h of an exponential phase in Vero cells. The infected cells showed severe alterations in the general morphology and these changes were due to structural modifications in actin microfilaments (MFs) and microtubules (MTs). The role of the cytoskeleton during different stages of PIXV replication was analyzed by using cytoskeleton-binding agents that alter the architecture and dynamics of MFs and MTs. Perturbations of MTs network caused by Paclitaxel or Nocodazole strongly affected virus production. Interestingly, disassembly of MFs with Cytochalasin D, at early stage of PIXV replication cycle, increased the viral extracellular titters while stabilization of actin network with Jasplakinolide had no effect on virus production. Our results demonstrate that PIXV relies not only on intact MTs for efficient virus production, but also on a dynamic actin network during early infection.