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Journal of Virology, September 2008, p. 8891-8895, Vol. 82, No. 17
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00472-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Low-pH-Induced Membrane Fusion Mediated by Human Metapneumovirus F Protein Is a Rare, Strain-Dependent Phenomenon{triangledown}

Sander Herfst,1,{dagger} Vicente Mas,2,{dagger} Lorena S. Ver,2,{dagger} Rutger J. Wierda,1 Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus,1 Ron A. M. Fouchier,1 and José A. Melero2*

Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands,1 Centro Nacional de Microbiología and CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain2

Received 4 March 2008/ Accepted 23 June 2008

Membrane fusion promoted by human metapneumovirus (HMPV) fusion (F) protein was suggested to require low pH (R. M. Schowalter, S. E. Smith, and R. E. Dutch, J. Virol. 80:10931-10941, 2006). Using prototype F proteins representing the four HMPV genetic lineages, we detected low-pH-dependent fusion only with some lineage A proteins and not with lineage B proteins. A glycine at position 294 was found responsible for the low-pH requirement in lineage A proteins. Only 6% of all HMPV lineage A F sequences have 294G, and none of the lineage B sequences have 294G. Thus, acidic pH is not a general trigger of HMPV F proteins for activity.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain. Phone: (34) 91 509 7941. Fax: (34) 91 509 7918. E-mail: jmelero{at}isciii.es

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 2 July 2008.

{dagger} S.H., V.M., and L.S.V. contributed equally to this study.

Journal of Virology, September 2008, p. 8891-8895, Vol. 82, No. 17
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00472-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • de Graaf, M., Schrauwen, E. J. A., Herfst, S., van Amerongen, G., Osterhaus, A. D. M. E., Fouchier, R. A. M. (2009). Fusion protein is the main determinant of metapneumovirus host tropism. J. Gen. Virol. 90: 1408-1416 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schowalter, R. M., Chang, A., Robach, J. G., Buchholz, U. J., Dutch, R. E. (2009). Low-pH Triggering of Human Metapneumovirus Fusion: Essential Residues and Importance in Entry. J. Virol. 83: 1511-1522 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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