Abstract
The cell envelope represents the main line of host defense that viruses encounter on their way from one cell to another. The cytoplasmic membrane in general is a physical barrier that needs to be crossed both upon viral entry and exit. Therefore, viruses from the three domains of life employ a wide range of strategies for perforation of the cell membrane, each adapted to the cell surface environment of their host. Here, we review recent insights on entry and egress mechanisms of viruses infecting archaea. Due to the unique nature of the archaeal cell envelope, these particular viruses exhibit novel and unexpected mechanisms to traverse the cellular membrane.
Highlights
Members of the three domains of life, Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya, are all subject to viral infections
A virus is able to infect only a few strains or species. Such specificity in interaction of viruses with their host is determined by the characteristics of entry, which in turn rely on the nature and structural peculiarities of the cell envelope
AFV1 is capable of binding the side of host pili, a feature shared with bacterial leviviruses, cystoviruses and some tailed bacteriophages (Poranen et al, 2002), the interaction of SIRV2 with Sulfolobus filaments occurs initially via the tip
Summary
Members of the three domains of life, Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya, are all subject to viral infections. A few studies have focused on the adsorption at the surface of the archaeal host cell before viral entry and release of viral particles at the end of the infection cycle (Bize et al, 2009; Brumfield et al, 2009; Ceballos et al, 2012; Quemin et al, 2013; Deng et al, 2014). This has delivered the very first insights into the fashion in which viruses interact with the archaeal membrane. We will discuss how features of cell surfaces compel viruses to employ specific strategies for entry and egress
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