Vimentin intermediate filaments facilitate transportation of hepatitis C virus components

Abstract

Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein, primarily contributes to intracellular organization, cell migration, and signal transduction. In recent years, the role of intermediate filaments in viral infection has garnered increasing attention. During viral infection, vimentin can regulate viral propagation by forming a vimentin cage to enclose viral replication factories, and facilitating the intracellular transport of viral components. However, whether vimentin can facilitate cell-to-cell transfer of viral components remains unknown. In this study, using hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a viral model, we demonstrated that HCV infection does not induce large-scale vimentin rearrangement or the formation of a vimentin cage. Interestingly, we observed that HCV components move directionally along a vimentin-containing cellular bridge from highly infected donor cells towards neighboring cells, potentially facilitating viral dissemination. Together, our findings unveil a previously unrecognized function of vimentin in the viral life cycle, expanding our understanding of the complex interplay between host cellular factors and viral strategies.