The mumps virus (MuV) fusion protein (F) plays a crucial role for the entry process and spread of infection by mediating fusion between viral and cellular membranes as well as between infected and neighboring cells, respectively. The fusogenicity of MuV differs depending on the strain and might correlate with the virulence; however, it is unclear which mechanisms contribute to the differentiated fusogenicity. The cleavage motif of MuV F is highly conserved among all strains, except the amino acid residue at position 8 (P8) that shows a certain variability with a total of four amino acid variants (leucine [L], proline [P], serine [S], and threonine [T]).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBats harbor a plethora of viruses with an unknown zoonotic potential. In-depth functional characterization of such viruses is often hampered by a lack of virus isolates. The genome of a virus closely related to human mumps viruses (hMuV) was detected in African fruit bats, batMuV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe invariant chain (CD74) mediates assembly and targeting of MHC class II (MHCII) complexes. In endosomes, CD74 undergoes sequential degradation by different proteases, including cathepsin S (CatS) and the intramembrane protease signal peptide peptidase-like 2a (SPPL2a). In their absence, CD74 N-terminal fragments (NTFs) accumulate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe world of medicine is becoming from year to year more complex. This necessitates efficient learning processes, which incorporate the principles of adult education but with unchanged periods of further education. The subject matter must be processed, organized, visualized, networked and comprehended.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe presenilin homologue signal peptide peptidase-like 2a (SPPL2a) is an intramembrane protease of lysosomes/late endosomes which cleaves type II transmembrane proteins. We recently identified CD74, the invariant chain of the MHCII complex, as the first in vivo validated substrate of this protease. In endosomal compartments, CD74 undergoes sequential proteolysis leading to the generation of a membrane-bound N-terminal fragment (NTF) that requires cleavage by SPPL2a for its turnover.
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