Pixuna virus modifies host cell cytoskeleton to secure infection

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

Scientific Reports

Springer Nature

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017 vol. 7

Pixuna virus (PIXV) is an enzootic member of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus complex and belongs to the New World cluster of alphaviruses. Herein we explore the role of the cellular cytoskeleton during PIXV replication. 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 morphological changes due to structural modifications in actin microfilaments (MFs) and microtubules (MTs). Cytoskeletonbinding agents, that alter the architecture and dynamics of MFs and MTs, were used to study the role of cytoskeleton on PIXV replication. The virus production was significantly affected (p