Regulation of Marburg virus (MARV) budding by Nedd4.1: a different WW domain of Nedd4.1 is critical for binding to MARV and Ebola virus VP40.

The VP40 matrix protein of Marburg virus (MARV) has been shown to be the driving force behind MARV budding, a process in which the PPPY L-domain motif of VP40 plays a critical role. Here, we report that Vps4B and Nedd4.1 play critical roles in MARV VP40-mediated budding. We showed that unidentified activities of the Nedd4.1 HECT domain, along with its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, may be required for MARV budding. Moreover, we showed that the first WW domain of Nedd4.1, WW1, is critical for binding to MARV VP40, indicating that MARV VP40 and Ebola virus VP40 are recognized by a different WW domain of Nedd4.1. This is the first report showing that the viral L-domains containing PPxY have specificities for binding to WW domains. Our findings provide new insights into MARV budding, which may contribute to the development of novel anti-MARV therapeutic strategies.