BBB seminar: Wendy Maury

Wendy Maury
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

Ebolavirus (EBOV) and Marburgvirus (MARV), compose the Filovirus family of enveloped, negative strand RNA viruses. These viruses infect a broad range of cells and are highly virulent in a variety of different mammals, including humans and non-human primates. Recent studies indicate that entry of these viruses into cells requires a series of cellular protein interactions. Some of these are unique to filoviruses, whereas others are commonly used by a broad array of enveloped viruses. While most enveloped viruses enter cells through cognate interactions of the viral glycoprotein with specific surface proteins on target cells, we and others have found that no such specific filovirus interactions occur at the cell surface. Instead, for entry into many cell types, host cell phosphatidylserine (PS) receptors interact with PS found on the surface of virions. Thus, these viruses internalize via viral lipid interactions with PS receptors. The Maury lab identified one such PS receptor, TIM-1, that is critical for filovirus entry into a range of different cells. Further, we have shown that TIM-1 expression in mice enhances viremia and exacerbated virus-associated pathology. The interaction of TIM-1 and other TIM family members with filoviruses will be discussed.

Chairperson: James Lorens, Department of Biomedicine