Role of AF6 protein in cell-to-cell spread of Herpes simplex virus 1

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 581; no. 28; pp. 5349 - 5354
• Main Authors: Keyser, Johanna, Lorger, Mihaela, Pavlovic, Jovan, Radziwill, Gerald, Moelling, Karin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 27.11.2007
• Subjects: AF6; Animals; Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; Cell Communication; Cell Line; Cell-to-cell spread; Cercopithecus aethiops; Herpes simplex virus 1; Herpesvirus 1, Human - physiology; Humans; Kinesin - genetics; Kinesin - metabolism; Myosins - genetics; Myosins - metabolism; Nectin; Nectins; PDZ; Virus Internalization; AF6; Herpes simplex virus 1; Cell-to-cell spread; Nectin; PDZ
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.10.030

AF6 and its rat homologue afadin are multidomain proteins localized at cell junctions and involved in intercellular adhesion. AF6 interacts via its PDZ domain with nectin-1 at epithelial adherens junctions. Nectin-1 serves as a mediator of cell-to-cell spread for Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). We analyzed the role of AF6 protein in the viral spread and nectin-1 clustering at cell–cell contacts by knockdown of AF6 in epithelial cells. AF6 knockdown reduced efficiency of HSV-1 spreading, however, the clustering of nectin-1 at cell–cell contacts was not affected. Thus, AF6 protein is important for spreading of HSV-1 in epithelial cells, independently of nectin clustering, possibly by stabilization of the E-cadherin-dependent cell adhesion.