ERA NanoSci - Nanocommunication: How virus particles convince cells to let them inside

真核病毒在细胞核内复制时，必须通过质膜和核膜这两道屏障，才能将其基因组传递到允许复制的隔室中，从而引发感染。病毒纳米机器已经进化到能够有效地与这些障碍接触并克服它们。为了彻底理解这种分子界面，我们将解决以下问题：i)包膜病毒颗粒和细胞膜之间形成接触的机械化学是什么？病毒和宿主膜之间的界面如何触发细胞质中衣壳的释放？ii)病毒衣壳和允许进入细胞核的核孔复合物之间的功能耦合的物理、结构和化学原理是什么？病毒基因组的释放是如何被触发的？解剖和描述这些分子界面机制将为研究人员提供设计可以进入和影响细胞的纳米物体的工具。

Eukaryotic viruses replicating in the nucleus must pass two barriers, the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope, to deliver their genome to a compartment allowing replication, and to initiate an infection. Viral nanomachines have evolved to efficiently interface with and overcome these barriers. To arrive at a thorough understanding of this molecular interfacing we will address the following questions: i) What is the mechanochemistry of contact formation between an enveloped viral particle and a cell membrane? How does interfacing between a viral and a host membrane trigger capsid release in the cytosol? ii) What are the physical, structural and chemical principles underlying functional coupling between viral capsids and nuclear pore complexes allowing access to the nucleus? How is the release of the viral genome triggered? Dissecting and describing these molecular interfacing mechanisms will provide researchers with tools to design nano-objects that can enter and influence cells.