Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus ORF45 Interacts with Kinesin-2 Transporting Viral Capsid-Tegument Complexes along Microtubules
2009

KSHV ORF45 and Kinesin-2 in Viral Transport

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Author Information

Author(s): Sathish Narayanan, Zhu Fan, Xiu Yuan, Yan Yuan

Primary Institution: Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Hypothesis

Does the KSHV ORF45 protein interact with KIF3A to facilitate the transport of viral capsid-tegument complexes along microtubules?

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that KSHV ORF45 interacts with KIF3A, which is crucial for the transport of viral complexes along microtubules, impacting viral egress.

Supporting Evidence

  • ORF45 was found to interact with KIF3A, a kinesin-2 motor protein.
  • Microtubules were essential for the transport of KSHV viral complexes.
  • Inhibition of KIF3A-ORF45 interaction reduced KSHV egress.
  • Nocodazole treatment decreased viral titers, indicating the importance of microtubules.

Takeaway

This study shows that a protein from the KSHV virus helps it move inside cells by grabbing onto a motor protein, which acts like a train on tracks.

Methodology

The study used yeast two-hybrid screening, co-immunoprecipitation, and confocal microscopy to analyze the interaction between ORF45 and KIF3A.

Limitations

The study does not fully explore the role of other kinesins in KSHV transport and the potential off-target effects of shRNA knockdown.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.ppat.1000332

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