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Caenorhabditis elegans proteins AFF-1 and EFF-1 [C. elegans fusion family (CeFF) proteins] are essential for developmental cell-to-cell fusion and can merge insect cells. To study the structure and function of AFF-1, we constructed vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) displaying AFF-1 on the viral envelope, substituting the native fusogen VSV glycoprotein. Electron microscopy and tomography revealed that AFF-1 formed distinct supercomplexes resembling pentameric and hexameric "flowers" on pseudoviruses. Viruses carrying AFF-1 infected mammalian cells only when CeFFs were on the target cell surface. Furthermore, we identified fusion family (FF) proteins within and beyond nematodes, and divergent members from the human parasitic nematode Trichinella spiralis and the chordate Branchiostoma floridae could also fuse mammalian cells. Thus, FF proteins are part of an ancient family of cellular fusogens that can promote fusion when expressed on a viral particle.

Original publication

DOI

10.1126/science.1202333

Type

Journal article

Journal

Science

Publication Date

29/04/2011

Volume

332

Pages

589 - 592

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Arthropods, Biological Evolution, Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins, Cell Fusion, Cell Line, Cell Membrane, Chordata, Nonvertebrate, Ctenophora, Membrane Fusion, Membrane Glycoproteins, Molecular Sequence Data, Naegleria fowleri, Nematoda, Recombinant Proteins, Recombination, Genetic, Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus, Viral Envelope Proteins