Equine infectious anemia virus entry occurs through clathrin-mediated endocytosis

J Virol. 2008 Feb;82(4):1628-37. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01754-07. Epub 2007 Dec 5.

Abstract

Entry of wild-type lentivirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) into cells requires a low-pH step. This low-pH constraint implicates endocytosis in EIAV entry. To identify the endocytic pathway involved in EIAV entry, we examined the entry requirements for EIAV into two different cells: equine dermal (ED) cells and primary equine endothelial cells. We investigated the entry mechanism of several strains of EIAV and found that both macrophage-tropic and tissue culture-adapted strains utilize clathrin-coated pits for entry. In contrast, a superinfecting strain of EIAV, EIAV(vMA-1c), utilizes two mechanisms of entry. In cells such as ED cells that EIAV(vMA-1c) is able to superinfect, viral entry is pH independent and appears to be mediated by plasma membrane fusion, whereas in cells where no detectable superinfection occurs, EIAV(vMA-1c) entry that is low-pH dependent occurs through clathrin-coated pits in a manner similar to wild-type virus. Regardless of the mechanism of entry being utilized, the internalization kinetics of EIAV is rapid with 50% of cell-associated virions internalizing within 60 to 90 min. Cathepsin inhibitors did not prevent EIAV entry, suggesting that the low-pH step required by wild-type EIAV is not required to activate cellular cathepsins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cathepsins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cathepsins / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Clathrin / metabolism*
  • Clathrin-Coated Vesicles / virology*
  • Dynamin I / metabolism
  • Endocytosis* / drug effects
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Infectious Anemia Virus, Equine / physiology*
  • Membrane Fusion
  • Membrane Microdomains / virology
  • Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Virus Internalization* / drug effects

Substances

  • Actins
  • Clathrin
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • Cholesterol
  • Cathepsins
  • Dynamin I