Cellular membrane cholesterol is required for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus entry and release in MARC-145 cells

Sun, Ying; Xiao, ShaoBo; Wang, Dang; Luo, Rui; Li, Bin; Chen, HuanChun; Fang, LiuRong

The infectivity of enveloped viruses often depends on the lipid composition of the host cell membrane. For instance, infection by Semliki Forest virus, a species of the Alphavirus genus, requires both cholesterol and sphingolipids [16, 17] . Additionally, virus entry and assembly of certain retroviruses and filoviruses depend on cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains [18, 19] . Cholesterol is an abundant, key component of the eukaryotic cell membrane that forms liquid-ordered microenvironments in the plasma membrane due to its rigidity and hydrophobicity [20] . Previous studies demonstrated that plasma membrane cholesterol plays an important role in the entry and infection processes of many viruses, especially in some enveloped viruses [21] , including Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) [22] , Poliovirus [23] , Murine coronavirus [24] , Vaccinia virus [25] , Herpes simplex virus [26] , Foot-and-mouth disease virus [27] , and Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) [28] . Moreover, the plasma membrane cholesterol content also affects the release of Influenza A virus from the infected cell [29] . However, few reports on the potential relationship between cholesterol and the replication of viruses in the Arteriviridae exist, although it was recently reported that cholesterol is a determinant of Equine arteritis virus entry [30] .