An unusual dependence of human herpesvirus-8 glycoproteins-induced cell-to-cell fusion on heparan sulfate

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2009-12, Vol.390 (3), p.382-387
• Main Authors: Tiwari, Vaibhav, Darmani, Nissar A., Thrush, Gerald R., Shukla, Deepak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Animals; Cell Fusion; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell Membrane - virology; CHO Cells; Conjunctival epithelium; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; EPITHELIUM; Glycoprotein; GLYCOPROTEINS; Heparan sulfate; Heparitin Sulfate - metabolism; Herpesviridae Infections - metabolism; Herpesvirus 8, Human - metabolism; Human herpesvirus-8; HUMAN POPULATIONS; Humans; INHIBITION; Membrane Fusion; PATHOGENESIS; SULFATES; Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics; Viral Envelope Proteins - metabolism; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.08.174

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) is known to interact with cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) for entry into a target cell. Here we investigated the role of HS during HHV-8 glycoproteins-induced cell fusion. Interestingly, the observed fusion demonstrated an unusual dependence on HS as evident from following lines of evidence: (1) a significant reduction in cell-to-cell fusion occurred when target cells were treated with heparinase; (2) in a competition assay, when the effector cells expressing HHV-8 glycoproteins were challenged with soluble HS, cell-to-cell fusion was reduced; and, (3) co-expression of HHV-8 glycoproteins gH–gL on target cells resulted in inhibition of cell surface HS expression. Taken together, our results indicate that cell surface HS can play an additional role during HHV-8 pathogenesis.