Morphology, biochemical analysis and neuraminidase activity of rubella virus

Abstract

A simple and reproducible method for the production of purified rubella virus is described. Purified virus was subjected to morphological and chemical analysis. The virus particles were rather pleomorphic (60 nm diameter), sometimes with one or more peripheral protrusions. The viral surface, revealed by negative staining, was composed of spikes 6 nm long, featuring enlarged ends. In SDS-urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, 4 major and 4 minor polypeptide bands were revealed. Total lipids and phospholipids were analysed on the same preparation. The viral particles were composed of RNA: 0.030 mg, and lipids: 0.245 mg, of which 0.169 mg were phospholipids for each mg of viral protein. Biologically, the purified virus preparation showed high infectivity, a high hemagglutination titre and a weak neuraminidase activity under defined conditions.

Rubella Virus: Structural and Non-structural Proteins

“…Until recently, several discrepancies were obvious in reports on the size and number of RV structural proteins. Although most of the early data indicated that three major structural proteins were present (Vaheri & Hovi, 1972;Payment et al, 1975a;Ho-Terry & Cohen, 1980;Trudel et al, 1982), some reports claimed additional minor proteins (Liebhaber & Gross, 1972;Bardeletti et al, 1975), and one report was at variance with all other data . The most recent reports on the structural proteins of RV (Ho-Terry & Cohen, 1982;Waxham & Wolinsky, 1983;Oker-Blom et al, 1983) have indicated that it is composed essentially of only three structural proteins, namely two envelope glycoproteins, E1 (mol.…”

Effect of the infection of rubella virus on BHK 21/13 S cells: Study of a glycolipid

“…Baby hamster kidney cells (BHK21/t3S) were grown in suspension culture as described previously (3). The infected cells were collected four days after infeetion with 1.5 × 107 TCDs0/108 cells.…”

Neuraminidase Activity as a Potential Enzymatic Marker for Rapid Detection of Airborne Viruses

“…Indeed, a wide range of organisms including viruses, bacteria and mammalian cells possess neuraminidase activity. However, it is known in Taylor (1996) 2 Taylor (1996) 3 Bowden et al (2001) 4 Seth and Shaila (2001) 5 Nishikawa et al (1977) 6 Bardeletti et al (1975) the literature that modifications in positions 4, 7, 8, and 9 of the Neu5Ac group change the specificity of the substrate toward different neuraminidase sources (Beau and Schauer 1980;Corfield et al 1986;Liav et al 1999;Shimasaki et al 2001;Varki and Diaz 1983). The 4-methoxy-Neu5Ac was demonstrated to be specific toward all viral neuraminidases tested and unrecognized by mammalian and bacterial neuraminidases (Beau and Schauer 1980;Liav et al 1999;Shimasaki et al 2001).…”