Microbiologists and pharmacists... NIEMAN–PICK C1 ( NPC1) AND EBOLA VIRUS. A. Haroun. Ebola has become a household name across africa with the recent outbreak in some parts of the continent. While reading some microbiology journals, i came to understand that Niemann–Pick C1 ( NPC1) was essential for Ebola infection. NPC1 encodes a putative integral membrane protein containing sequence motifs consistent with a role in intracellular transport of cholesterol to post- lysosomal destinations. When cells from Niemann Pick Type C1 patients were exposed to Ebola virus in the laboratory, the cells survived and appeared immune to the virus, indicating that Ebola relies on NPC1 to enter cells. This might imply that genetic mutations in the NPC1 gene in humans could make some people resistant to one of the deadliest known viruses affecting humans. The same studies described similar results with Ebolas cousin in the filovirus group, Marburg virus, showing that it too needs NPC1 to enter cells [1]. This has been the point of focus therapeautic developments against the virus. A later study confirmed the findings that NPC1 is a critical filovirus receptor that mediates infection by binding directly to the viral envelope glycoprotein and that the second lysosomal domain of NPC1 mediates this binding. REFERENCES 1. Côté M, Misasi J, Ren T, Bruchez A, Lee K, Filone CM, Hensley L, Li Q, Ory D, Chandran K, Cunningham J (September 2011). Small molecule inhibitors reveal Niemann-Pick C1 is essential for Ebola virus infection.Nature477(7364): 344–8 2. Miller EH, Obernosterer G, Raaben M, Herbert AS, Deffieu MS, Krishnan A, Ndungo E, Sandesara RG, Carette JE, Kuehne AI, Ruthel G, Pfeffer SR, Dye JM, Whelan SP, Brummelkamp TR, Chandran K (March 2012). Ebola virus entry requires the host-programmed recognition of an intracellular receptor.EMBO Journal31(8): 1947–60
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 06:58:13 +0000
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