Biomaterial Database

Membrane fusion of enveloped viruses: especially a matter of proteins. 1990

D Hoekstra

Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

To infect mammalian cells, enveloped viruses have to deposit their nucleocapsids into the cytoplasm of a host cell. Membrane fusion represents a key element in this entry mechanism. The fusion activity resides in specific, virally encoded membrane glycoproteins. Some molecular properties of these fusion proteins will be briefly described. These properties will then be correlated to the ability of a virus to fuse with target membranes, and to induce cell-cell fusion. Some molecular and physical parameters affecting virus fusion--at the level of either viral or target membrane or both--and the significance of modelling virus fusion by using synthetic peptides resembling viral fusion peptides, will also be discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008561	Membrane Fusion	The adherence and merging of cell membranes, intracellular membranes, or artificial membranes to each other or to viruses, parasites, or interstitial particles through a variety of chemical and physical processes.	Fusion, Membrane,Fusions, Membrane,Membrane Fusions
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D010455	Peptides	Members of the class of compounds composed of AMINO ACIDS joined together by peptide bonds between adjacent amino acids into linear, branched or cyclical structures. OLIGOPEPTIDES are composed of approximately 2-12 amino acids. Polypeptides are composed of approximately 13 or more amino acids. PROTEINS are considered to be larger versions of peptides that can form into complex structures such as ENZYMES and RECEPTORS.	Peptide,Polypeptide,Polypeptides
D011487	Protein Conformation	The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).	Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D002459	Cell Fusion	Fusion of somatic cells in vitro or in vivo, which results in somatic cell hybridization.	Cell Fusions,Fusion, Cell,Fusions, Cell
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014760	Viral Fusion Proteins	Proteins, usually glycoproteins, found in the viral envelopes of a variety of viruses. They promote cell membrane fusion and thereby may function in the uptake of the virus by cells.	Fusion Proteins, Viral,Viral Fusion Glycoproteins,F Protein (Sendai Virus),F Protein Measles Virus,F Protein Newcastle Disease Virus,F Protein SV,F-Glycoprotein SV,F1 Polypeptide (Paramyxovirus),Fusion Glycoprotein, Viral,Fusion VP1 Protein,Glycoprotein, Viral Fusion,Measles Fusion Protein,Mumps Virus Fusion Protein,Paramyxovirus Fusion Protein,Sendai Virus Fusion Protein,Viral Fusion-GP,Virus Fusion Proteins,Fusion Glycoproteins, Viral,Fusion Protein, Measles,Fusion Protein, Paramyxovirus,Fusion Proteins, Virus,Fusion-GP, Viral,Glycoproteins, Viral Fusion,Proteins, Virus Fusion,VP1 Protein, Fusion,Viral Fusion GP,Viral Fusion Glycoprotein
D014763	Viral Matrix Proteins	Proteins associated with the inner surface of the lipid bilayer of the viral envelope. These proteins have been implicated in control of viral transcription and may possibly serve as the "glue" that binds the nucleocapsid to the appropriate membrane site during viral budding from the host cell.	Membrane Proteins, Viral,Viral M Proteins,Viral M Protein,Viral Membrane Proteins