Virus Details


VHFID9148

Pathogen Information

Virus Name Zaire ebolavirus
Virus Short Name ZEBOV
Order Bunyavirales
Virus Family Filoviridae
Virus Subfamily N.A.
Genus Ebolavirus
Species Zaire ebolavirus
Host Bats, human and primates
Cell Tropism N.A.
Associated Disease Hemorragic fever
Mode of Transmission Zoonosis, contact with body fluids
VIPR DB link http://www.viprbrc.org/brc/vipr_allSpecies_search.do?method=SubmitForm&decorator=filo
ICTV DB link https://talk.ictvonline.org/ictv-reports/ictv_9th_report/negative-sense-rna-viruses-2011/w/negrna_viruses/197/filoviridae
Virus Host DB link N.A.

Publication Information

Paper Title Ebola virus entry requires the cholesterol transporter Niemann Pick C1
Author's Name Jan E. Carette, Matthijs Raaben, Anthony C. Wong, Andrew S. Herbert, Gregor Obernosterer, Nirupama Mulherkar, Ana I. Kuehne, Philip J. Kranzusch, April M. Griffin, Gordon Ruthel, Paola Dal Cin, John M. Dye, Sean P. Whelan, Kartik Chandran and Thijn R. Brummelkamp
Journal Name Nature
Pubmed ID 21866103
Abstract Infections by the Ebola and Marburg filoviruses cause a rapidly fatal haemorrhagic fever in humans for which no approved antivirals are available. Filovirus entry is mediated by the viral spike glycoprotein (GP), which attaches viral particles to the cell surface, delivers them to endosomes and catalyses fusion between viral and endosomal membranes. Additional host factors in the endosomal compartment are probably required for viral membrane fusion however, despite considerable efforts, these critical host factors have defied molecular identification. Here we describe a genome-wide haploid genetic screen in human cells to identify host factors required for Ebola virus entry. Our screen uncovered 67 mutations disrupting all six members of the homotypic fusion and vacuole protein-sorting (HOPS) multisubunit tethering complex, which is involved in the fusion of endosomes to lysosomes, and 39 independent mutations that disrupt the endo/lysosomal cholesterol transporter protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1). Cells defective for the HOPS complex or NPC1 function, including primary fibroblasts derived from human Niemann-Pick type C1 disease patients, are resistant to infection by Ebola virus and Marburg virus, but remain fully susceptible to a suite of unrelated viruses. We show that membrane fusion mediated by filovirus glycoproteins and viral escape from the vesicular compartment require the NPC1 protein, independent of its known function in cholesterol transport. Our findings uncover unique features of the entry pathway used by filoviruses and indicate potential antiviral strategies to combat these deadly agents.
Used Model HAP1 cells
DOI 10.1038/nature10348