Berlin 2024 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 8: Poster Session Ia
BP 8.14: Poster
Monday, March 18, 2024, 18:00–20:30, Poster C
Investigating the Fusion Efficiency of Respiratory Virus-Like Particles with Model Cell Membranes — •Mahsa Mohammadian1, Chetan S Poojari2, Ralf Seemann1, Jochen Hub2, and Jean-Baptiste Fleury1 — 1Department of Experimental Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Germany — 2Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Germany
Viral infections are initiated when a virus attaches to a host cell membrane, and then penetrates the cell through a process called membrane fusion. The fusion 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 non-infectious virus-like particles (VLPs) decorated with different fusion peptides and fuse them with an artificial cell membrane. For this purpose, 3D microfluidic devices are used to create either supported or free-standing lipid bilayers and the fusion process is then studied using fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are employed to provide structural and energetic insights into the effect of fusion peptides on stalk-formation. 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.