Effect of meliacine, a plant-derived antiviral, in the intracellular localization of viral proteins

Autores: Barquero A, Alché L, Coto Celia E

Resumen

Meliacine (MA), an antiviral principle present in a purified fraction from Melia azedarach L. leaf aqueous extract, restrains HSV-1 propagation, affecting the maturation and egress of viral particles from Vero cells as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) and EM studies. Besides, infected cells treated with MA exhibits a different pattern of viral antigen distribution using a polyclonal anti-HSV-1 serum. To examine whether MA affected the intracellular localization of viral proteins, we studied the transport of gD by IF using a monoclonal antibody (mab). Vero cells were infected with HSV-1 (F) at a m.o.i. of 1 and treated with 50 mg/ml of MA during 13 h.. In MA-treated infected cells, the transport of gD to the plasma membrane was inhibited and an intense fluorescence associated with perinuclear cytoplasmic inclusions was observed. A double-label IF study showed that gD co-localized with a rodamine-conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) that bound to the Golgi complex.. To study the biological significance of these findings, we investigated the effect of MA on VSV protein distribution. IF assays done with specific mab against gG and M protein of VSV determined that MA altered the intracellular distribution of gG without affecting that of the non-glycosilated M protein. Only gG co-localized with WGA in the Golgi complex. In consequence, MA proved to block the transport of viral surface glycoproteins from trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane.

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2007-01-31   |   1,041 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 1 Núm.1. Abril 2002 Pags. Qviva 2002; 1(1)