Involvement of lipid raft during feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) infection on permissive cells: a potential target for antiviral treatment

Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) is a common virus responsible for more than half of feline respiratory syndromes and kitten mortality. Despite recent findings regarding the interactions between FHV-1 and cellular pathways, no information is available on its relationship with lipid rafts, which are cytoplasmic membrane protrusions involved in a variety of cellular functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement of lipid rafts during FHV-1 infection on permissive cells (CRFK). The use of a specific inhibitor (MβCD) prior to viral adsorption resulted in a significant reduction in viral titers (assessed by TCID50) and viral glycoprotein expression (assessed by immunofluorescence and Western blot). Supplying soluble cholesterol to the cells prior to infection replenished the lipid rafts, restoring viral titers and glycoprotein expression to normal. These results were also confirmed by the viability assay, which revealed higher viability in MβCD-treated cells compared to mock. We also observed a decrease in cell viability when cholesterol was replenished, due to cytopathic effects mediated by the virus. The results of this study have highlighted a relevant role for lipid rafts during FHV-1 infection, enriching our understanding of the FHV-1-cell interaction and contributing to rethink them as a potential target for antiviral treatment.