RESEARCH ARTICLE


The E89K Mutation in the Matrix Protein of the Measles Virus Affects In Vitro Cell Death and Virus Replication Efficiency in Human PBMC



Jianbao Dong1, 2, 3, Wei Zhu1, Akatsuki Saito1, Yoshitaka Goto1, Hiroyuki Iwata4, Takeshi Haga*, 1
1 Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
2 Research Fellow DC of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan
3 The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan
4 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan


© Dong et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai Nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan; Tel: +81-985-58-7575; Fax: +81-985-58-7575; E-mail: a0d518u@cc.miyazaki-u.ac.jp


Abstract

Matrix protein is known to have an important role in the process of virus assembly and virion release during measles virus replication. In the present in vitro study, a single mutation of E89K in the matrix protein was shown to affect cell death and virus replication efficiency in human PBMC. One strain with this mutation caused less cell death than the parental virus, and possessed high virus replication efficiency. Moreover, by Annexin V-FITC staining, polycaspase FLICA staining, and double labeling with poly-caspase FLICA and the Hoechst stain, the cell death seen was shown to be apoptosis.

Keywords: Measles virus, human PBMC, E89K mutation, cell death, replication efficiency..