Dynamic attachment of Chlorovirus PBCV-1 to Chlorella variabilis

Authors

Irina Agarkova, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Brigitte Hertel, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Xinzheng Zhang, Purdue UniversityFollow
Les Lane, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Alexander Tchourbanov, University of Arizona
David D. Dunigan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Gerhard Thiel, Technische Universität DarmstadtFollow
Michael G. Rossmann, Purdue UniversityFollow
James L. Van Etten, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Irina Agarkova

David D. Dunigan

James L. Van Etten

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Published in Virology 466–467 (October 2014; Special issue on Giant Viruses), pp. 95–102; doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.07.002

Comments

Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. Used by permission.

Abstract

Chloroviruses infect their hosts by specifically binding to and degrading the cell wall of their algal hosts at the site of attachment, using an intrinsic digesting enzyme(s). Chlorovirus PBCV-1 stored as a lysate survived longer than virus alone, suggesting virus attachment to cellular debris may be reversible. Ghost cells (algal cells extracted with methanol) were used as a model to study reversibility of PBCV-1 attachment because ghost cells are as susceptible to attachment and wall digestion as are live cells. Reversibility of attachment to ghost cells was examined by releasing attached virions with a cell wall degrading enzyme extract. The majority of the released virions retained infectivity even after re-incubating the released virions with ghost cells two times. Thus the chloroviruses appear to have a dynamic attachment strategy that may be beneficial in indigenous environments where cell wall debris can act as a refuge until appropriate host cells are available.