Sendai virus budding in the course of an infection does not require Alix and VPS4A host factors

Abstract Closing the Sendai virus C protein open reading frames (rSeV-ΔC virus) results in the production of virus particles with highly reduced infectivity. Besides, the Sendai virus C proteins interact with Alix/AIP1 and Alix suppression negatively affects Sendai virus like particle (VLP) budding. Similarly, the Sendai virus M protein has been shown to interact with Alix. On this basis, it has been suggested that Sendai virus budding involves recruitment of the multivesicular body formation machinery. We follow, here, the production of SeV particles upon regular virus infection. We find that neither Alix suppression nor dominant negative-VPS4A expression, applied separately or in combination, affects physical or infectious virion production. This contrasts with the observed decrease of SV5 virion production upon dominant negative-VPS4A expression. Finally, we show that suppression of more than 70% of a GFP/C protein in the background of a rSeV-ΔC virus infection has no effect either on SeV particle production or on virus particle infectivity. Our results contrast with what has been published before. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are discussed.