Membrane insertion of the three main membranotropic sequences from SARS-CoV S2 glycoprotein

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1778; no. 12; pp. 2765 - 2774
• Main Authors: Guillén, Jaime, Kinnunen, Paavo K.J., Villalaín, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2008
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Lipid bilayers; Lipid Bilayers - metabolism; Membrane fusion; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; Models, Biological; Molecular Biology; Peptides - chemistry; Peptides - genetics; Peptides - metabolism; Peptide–membrane interaction; Protein Structure, Tertiary; SARS; SARS Virus - genetics; SARS Virus - metabolism; Spike glycoprotein; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics; Viral Envelope Proteins - metabolism; Viral Fusion Proteins - chemistry; Viral Fusion Proteins - genetics; Viral Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Virus–host cell interactions; T m; Membrane fusion; SARS FP; SARS IFP; PTM; Virus–host cell interactions; SARS; FP; HR; CoV; LUV; Lipid bilayers; POPG; di-8-ANEPPS; POPC; Peptide–membrane interaction; Spike glycoprotein; CHOL; SARS PTM; ESM
• ISSN: 0005-2736; 0006-3002; 1879-2642
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.07.021

In order to complete the fusion process of SARS-CoV virus, several regions of the S2 virus envelope glycoprotein are necessary. Recent studies have identified three membrane-active regions in the S2 domain of SARS-CoV glycoprotein, one situated downstream of the minimum furin cleavage, which is considered the fusion peptide (SARS FP), an internal fusion peptide located immediately upstream of the HR1 region (SARS IFP) and the pre-transmembrane domain (SARS PTM). We have explored the capacity of these selected membrane-interacting regions of the S2 SARS-CoV fusion protein, alone or in equimolar mixtures, to insert into the membrane as well as to perturb the dipole potential of the bilayer. We show that the three peptides interact with lipid membranes depending on lipid composition and experiments using equimolar mixtures of these peptides show that different segments of the protein may act in a synergistic way suggesting that several membrane-active regions could participate in the fusion process of the SARS-CoV.