Microorganisms, including viruses, use the host cell’s cytoskeleton to destabilize the host cell’s physiological mechanisms to allow for the virus’s survival and aid its pathogenesis. Most bacteria and viruses utilize the host cytoskeleton for multiple activities, including attachment, invasion, movement within and between cells, and replication, resulting in disease progression
[1][2][3]. Actin microfilaments are unique among the cellular cytoskeletons, as they are composed of a highly dynamic network of actin polymers. Host cells contain actin-associated proteins that modulate cell migration, contraction, and shape changes during the cell cycle and in response to extracellular stimuli
[4][5][6]. During a microbial attack, the induction of macropinocytosis, phagocytosis, membrane ruffling, vacuole formation, and vacuole remodeling depends on signaling the actin cytoskeleton
[4][5][6]. Pathogens, like viruses and bacteria, have different strategies to hijack the host cell machinery to promote their replicative cycles; specifically, the host cytoskeleton is their common target
[3][4].
The ARP2/3 complex, an actin filament nucleating and regulating factor, plays a central role in cellular actin assembly. The complex is an assembly of seven proteins, including actin-related proteins ARP2, ARP3, and five additional subunits called actin-related protein 2/3 complex (ARPC), including p41, p34, p21, p20, and p16 (noted as ARPC 1–5, respectively) (
Figure 1)
[7].
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe lower respiratory illnesses, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia, in children under the age of five. Elderly adults, as well as adults with chronic diseases, are at an increased risk for contracting a severe illness from an RSV infection. Importantly, almost everyone has been infected by RSV by the time they reach two years of age. RSV infection primarily causes common cold-like symptoms that progress to lower respiratory tract disease in 40 percent of infected infants
[9]. RSV belongs to the
Pneumoviridae virus family. It is a negative-sense, single-stranded, non-segmented RNA virus. Its genome consists of 10 genes that encode 11 proteins. The proteins encoded by RSV are nonstructural protein 1(NS1), NS2, nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), matrix (M), short hydrophobic (SH), glycoprotein (G), fusion (F), M2-1 and M2-2, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L)
[10]. The two main proteins that are widely studied for anti-viral drug discovery are F and G protein. F protein is a surface glycoprotein that is involved in the RSV infection. G protein attaches to the host cell receptor
[11]. F protein enables the virion membrane to fuse with the host cell membrane
[12]. Upon entering the host cell, RSV undergoes transcription, translation, and replication in the host cytoplasm
[10]. During transcription, the viral polymerase starts mRNA synthesis for all genes from 3′ to 5′ end of the genome
[13]. Importantly, RSV 3′ to 5′ end genes undergo a higher to lower transcription gradient
[13][14]. All protein-specific mRNAs are translated by host cell translational machinery
[10]. N protein is involved in creating a template for RNA synthesis and P protein is a polymerase co-factor
[10]. M protein is involved in the inhibition of host transcription and is associated with viral inclusion bodies
[15]. M2-1 is a transcription processivity factor and M2-2 regulates RNA synthesis
[16][17]. NS1 and NS2 proteins are non-structural proteins that are involved in various processes including interfering with the innate immune response and inhibiting apoptosis
[18][19]. SH protein is a transmembrane protein near the N-terminus involved in various processes including the inhibition of TNF signaling and reducing apoptosis
[20]. The virus is assembled at the cell surface with viral proteins and genomic RNA. The assembled new virion budded out from the surface of the cell
[10]. RSV attachment to cell membrane activated various signaling cascades like Epidermal growth factor (EGF), cell division protein 42 (Cdc42) which led to actin rearrangement and increased fluid uptake which results in RSV uptake by macropinocytosis, as shown in
Figure 2. Actin rearrangement plays an important role in RSV entry, as treatment with cytochalasin D and latrunculin A disrupt actin filament and reduce RSV infection in HeLa cells
[21]. Previously, it has also shown that the cytoskeleton protein actin is involved in RSV endocytosis, replication, gene expression, and morphogenesis (
Figure 2)
[22][23][24][25]. It has recently been shown that ARP2/3 and virus-induced filopodia contribute to RSV cell-to-cell spread (
Figure 2 and
Figure 3)
[26][27][28].