Migration of Nucleocapsids in Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Infected Cells is Dependent on Microtubules and Actin Filaments

Cytoplasmic particles and organelles owe their distribution within cells to their affinities to the cytoskeleton and cellular membranes. This cargo is carried along the cytoskeleton and membranes using a variety of cytoskeletal motors and adapter proteins. Viruses hijack these pathways to distribute their proteins and genetic material. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a prototype Rhabdovirus that has been used to study transport within the cell. We developed a new method of analysis of fluorescence within the cytoplasm called the border-to-border distribution method (BTBDM). The well characterized effect on the distribution of the glycoprotein of VSV in response to Brefeldin A (BFA) was used here to validate the BTBDM. This method was used to describe the distribution of the nucleocapsid of VSV during infection, and analyze the importance of the cytoskeleton on this distribution. To determine the mechanism by which nucleocapsids migrate during infection, pulse-chase analysis of protein translation, plaque assays, and live cell imaging were used in conjunction with the BTBDM. In the work presented here, we show a necessity of both microtubules and actin filaments on nucleocapsid migration during infection and virus assembly.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Yacovone, Shalane

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/57113

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/57113