Figure 1.

Schematic representation of EBOV entry. Following interaction with attachment factors (1), the virion is internalized by the macropinocytosis (2). Inside the membrane-bound vesicle, GP is cleaved by cysteine proteases to activate its fusogenic potential (3). Cleaved GP is then able to interact with the specific NPC1 viral receptor (4). Such event, in addition to the activity of the TPC2 calcium channel (5), helps triggering the fusion between the viral envelope and the endosomal/lysosomal membrane (6), leading to viral genome release followed by transcription and replication (7).