Fusion peptides of enveloped viruses actively mediate membrane fusion in model cell membranes

Abstract

Enveloped viruses can enter host cells by fusing their membrane with that of the host cell, a process known as membrane fusion. This process depends on specific fusion proteins located on the viral particle surface, which contain a short, relatively hydrophobic segment called "fusion peptide" that binds to the host membrane. To investigate the fusion efficiency of various fusion peptides, we create simplified non-infectious virus like particles decorated with different fusion peptides and fuse them with an artificial cell membrane. For this purpose, microfluidic devices are used to create supported lipid bilayers while the result of the fusion process is studied by fluorescence microscopy. Our study provides structural insights into the interactions between virus particles and cell membranes, which can facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies and more effective viral vectors for therapeutic applications.