RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Hanika, Andrea A1 Larisch, Birthe A1 Steinmann, Eike A1 Schwegmann-Weßels, Christel A1 Herrler, Georg A1 Zimmer, GertYR 2005 T1 Use of influenza C virus glycoprotein HEF for generation of vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotypes JF Journal of General Virology, VO 86 IS 5 SP 1455 OP 1465 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.80788-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Influenza C virus contains two envelope glycoproteins: CM2, a putative ion channel protein; and HEF, a unique multifunctional protein that performs receptor-binding, receptor-destroying and fusion activities. Here, it is demonstrated that expression of HEF is sufficient to pseudotype replication-incompetent vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that lacks the VSV glycoprotein (G) gene. The pseudotyped virus showed characteristic features of influenza C virus with respect to proteolytic activation, receptor usage and cell tropism. Chimeric glycoproteins composed of HEF ectodomain and VSV-G C-terminal domains were efficiently incorporated into VSV particles and showed receptor-binding and receptor-destroying activities but, unlike authentic HEF, did not mediate efficient infection, probably because of impaired fusion activity. HEF-pseudotyped VSV efficiently infected polarized Madin–Darby canine kidney cells via the apical plasma membrane, whereas entry of VSV-G-complemented virus was restricted to the basolateral membrane. These findings suggest that pseudotyping of viral vectors with HEF might be useful for efficient apical gene transfer into polarized epithelial cells and for targeting cells that express 9-O-acetylated sialic acids., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.80788-0