Cellular membranes are physical barriers that a virus must bypass, and the ability of a virus to transport across these membranes is a critical stage of viral infection. Depending on the route of entry, a virus may face a barrier not only at the exterior plasma membrane, but also inside the cell at the endosomal membrane. The mechanism by which enveloped viruses, such as HIV and Influenza, enter cells is through membrane fusion, facilitated by viral fusion peptides and this process is becoming increasingly well characterized. However, there is a lack of understanding the mechanisms employed by non-enveloped (membrane lacking) viruses to cross biological membranes. Through molecular modeling methods we have investigated the model system Flock House virus by computing pathways for externalization of the membrane disrupting γ-peptides. We have found that protonation of only a few residues in the capsid leads to a disruption of the capsid collective dynamics, which in turn makes externalization of the peptides a more favorable process.

Revealing the pH-controlled release mechanism of lytic peptides from non-enveloped virus capsids

251st National Meeting (2016)

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