Conformational Changes and Nuclear Entry of Porcine Circovirus without Disassembly.

A relatively stable and flexible capsid is critical to the viral life cycle. However, the capsid dynamics and cytosol trafficking of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) during its infectious cycle are poorly understood. Here, we report the structural stability and conformation flexibility of PCV2 virions by genome labeling and the use of three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the native capsid of PCV2. Genome labeling showed that the infectivity of the PCV2 virion was not affected by conjugation with deoxy-5-ethynylcytidine (EdC). Heat stability experiments indicated that PCV2 capsids started to disassemble at 65°C, causing binding incompetence for all antibodies, and the viral genome was released without capsid disassembly upon heating at 60°C. Antibody binding experiments with PCV2 showed that residues 186 to 192 were concealed in the early endosomes of epithelial PK-15 and monocytic 3D4/31 cells with or without chloroquine treatment and then exposed in PK-15 cytosol and the 3D4/31 nucleus. Viral propagation and localization experiments showed that PCV2 replication and cytosol trafficking were not significantly affected by microtubule depolymerization in monocytic 3D4/31 cells treated with nocodazole. These findings demonstrated that nuclear targeting of viral capsids involved conformational changes, the PCV2 genome was released from the assembled capsid, and the transit of PCV2 particles was independent of microtubules in 3D4/31 cells.