mSphere of Influence: Redefining an Influenza Virus—How Different Are Influenza Viruses and Extracellular Vesicles?

Abstract

Seema Lakdawala works in the field of influenza virology. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the article “Conserved and host-specific features of influenza virion architecture” by Edward C. Hutchinson et al. (Nat Commun 5:4816, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5816) made an impact on her thinking about what constitutes an infectious virus and how influenza viruses can spread within and among hosts.

Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Influenza Virus Infection

“…HIV is a typical example, it can assemble and release from infected cells via ESCRT machinery (Schorey et al, 2015). Influenza viruses bud from the plasma membrane of host cells similar to microvesicles (Lakdawala, 2019), and the similarities of protein profile between influenza virions and microvesicles secreted by uninfected cells have been confirmed by Hutchinson and colleagues, suggesting that influenza viruses can manipulate certain pathway normally used for microvesicles formation (Hutchinson et al, 2014). However, current evidences have suggested that no core ESCRT component involved in IAV particles assembly and budding, implying influenza virus may utilize the ESCRT-independent pathways to facilitate transportation of virus particles to the plasma membrane for release (Bruce et al, 2009;Watanabe and Lamb, 2010;Alenquer and Amorim, 2015).…”