1 research outputs found
Penetration of Cell Surface Glycocalyx by Enveloped Viruses Is Aided by Weak Multivalent Adhesive Interaction
Viral
infection usually begins with adhesion between
the viral
particle and viral receptors displayed on the cell membrane. The exterior
surface of the cell membrane is typically coated with a brush-like
layer of molecules, the glycocalyx, that the viruses need to penetrate.
Although there is extensive literature on the biomechanics of virus–cell
adhesion, much of it is based on continuum-level models that do not
address the question of how virus/cell-membrane adhesion occurs through
the glycocalyx. In this work, we present a simulation study of the
penetration mechanism. Using a coarse-grained molecular model, we
study the force-driven and diffusive penetration of a brush-like glycocalyx
by viral particles. For force-driven penetration, we find that viral
particles smaller than the spacing of molecules in the brush reach
the membrane surface readily. For a given maximum force, viral particles
larger than the minimum spacing of brush molecules arrest at some
distance from the membrane, governed by the balance of elastic and
applied forces. For the diffusive case, we find that weak but multivalent
attraction between the glycocalyx molecules and the virus effectively
leads to its engulfment by the glycocalyx. Our finding provides potential
guidance for developing glycocalyx-targeting drugs and therapies by
understanding how virus–cell adhesion works