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. 2015 Sep 11;1(9):399-452.
doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5b00040. Epub 2015 Jun 24.

Lipid composition of viral envelope of three strains of influenza virus - not all viruses are created equal

Pavlina T Ivanova  1 , David S Myers  1 , Stephen B Milne  1 , Jennifer L McClaren  2 , Paul G Thomas  2 , H Alex Brown  3
Affiliations

Lipid composition of viral envelope of three strains of influenza virus - not all viruses are created equal

Pavlina T Ivanova et al. ACS Infect Dis. .

Abstract

While differences in the rate of virus fusion and budding from the host cell membrane have been correlated with pathogenicity, no systematic study of the contribution of differences in viral envelope composition has previously been attempted. Using rigorous virus purification, marked differences between virions and host were observed. Over 125 phospholipid species have been quantitated for three strains of influenza (HKx31- H3N2, PR8- H1N1, and VN1203- H5N1) grown in eggs. The glycerophospholipid composition of purified virions differs from that of the host or that of typical mammalian cells. Phosphatidylcholine is the major component in most mammalian cell membranes, while in purified virions phosphatidylethanolamine dominates. Due to its effects on membrane curvature, it is likely that the variations in its content are important to viral processing during infection. This integrated method of virion isolation with systematic analysis of glycerophospholipids provides a tool for the assessment of species specific biomarkers of viral pathogenicity.

Keywords: infectious disease; influenza; lipidomics; membrane lipid composition; phospholipids; plasmalogens; virion.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative electron micrograph (EM) of purified PR8 virus, grown in egg.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Glycerophospholipid profiles of egg-grown influenza virus differ from each other and that of non-infected allantoic fluid (NAF) (a). Representation of molecular species within each lipid class (b).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Glycerophospholipid profiles of egg-grown influenza virus differ from each other and that of non-infected allantoic fluid (NAF) (a). Representation of molecular species within each lipid class (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fatty acid distribution between phospholipid classes in purified virions and NAF. Representation of fractions of polyunsaturated (red) versus saturated, monounsaturated and diunsaturated FA-containing glycerophospholipids (blue) across virions ( vertical) and glycerophospholipids classes (horizontal (a). PUFA content by class in virions and non-infected allantoic fluid (NAF) (b). Long chain fatty acids ( >36 carbon atoms) content by class in virions and NAF (c). Plasmalogen ethanolamines as a fraction of total GPL for all viral strains and host (NAF) (d).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fatty acid distribution between phospholipid classes in purified virions and NAF. Representation of fractions of polyunsaturated (red) versus saturated, monounsaturated and diunsaturated FA-containing glycerophospholipids (blue) across virions ( vertical) and glycerophospholipids classes (horizontal (a). PUFA content by class in virions and non-infected allantoic fluid (NAF) (b). Long chain fatty acids ( >36 carbon atoms) content by class in virions and NAF (c). Plasmalogen ethanolamines as a fraction of total GPL for all viral strains and host (NAF) (d).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fatty acid distribution between phospholipid classes in purified virions and NAF. Representation of fractions of polyunsaturated (red) versus saturated, monounsaturated and diunsaturated FA-containing glycerophospholipids (blue) across virions ( vertical) and glycerophospholipids classes (horizontal (a). PUFA content by class in virions and non-infected allantoic fluid (NAF) (b). Long chain fatty acids ( >36 carbon atoms) content by class in virions and NAF (c). Plasmalogen ethanolamines as a fraction of total GPL for all viral strains and host (NAF) (d).
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