West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the Flaviviridae, a plus-stranded virus family that includes St. Louis encephalitis virus, Kunjin virus, yellow fever virus, Dengue virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus. WNV was initially isolated in 1937 in the West Nile region of Uganda and has become prevalent in Africa, Asia, and Europe. WNV has rapidly spread across the United States through its insect host and causes neurological symptoms and encephalitis, which can result in paralysis or death. Since 1999 about 3700 cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection and 200 deaths have been recorded in United States. The viral capsid protein likely contributes to the WNV-associated deadly inflammation via apoptosis induced through the mitochondrial pathway.
WNV particles (50 nm in diameter) consist of a dense core (viral protein C encapsidated virus RNA genome) surrounded by a membrane envelope (viral E and M proteins embedded in a lipid bilayer). The virus binds to a specific cell surface protein (not yet identified), an interaction thought to involve E protein with highly sulfated neperan sulfate (HSHS) residues that are present on the surfaces of many cells and enters the cell by a process similar to that of endocytosis. Once inside the cell, the genome RNA is released into the cytoplasm via endosomal release, a fusion process involving acidic pH induced conformation change in the E protein. The RNA genome serves as mRNA and is translated by ribosomes into ten mature viral proteins are produced via proteolytic cleavage, which include three structural components and seven different nonstructural components of the virus. These proteins assemble and transcribe complimentary minus strand RNAs from the genomic RNA. The complimentary minus strand RNA in turns serves as template for the synthesis of positive-stranded genomic RNAs. Once viral E, preM and C proteins have accumulated to sufficient level, they assemble with the genomic RNA to form progeny virions, which migrate to the cell surface where they are surrounded with lipid envelop and released.
