On the Role of Virus Sulfhydryl Groups in the Attachment of Enteroviruses to Erythrocytes

Abstract

Many animal viruses possess the ability to agglutinate erythrocytes. In most but not all cases hemagglutination is due to the virus particle itself, and appears to result from the mechanical bridging of two or more erythrocytes by virus particles which attach to receptor sites on each erythrocyte (1, 2). Thus, attachment of virus particles to erythrocytes is a prerequisite for hemagglutination, and prevention of absorption of virus prevents hemagglutination. Among the enteroviruses, many ECHO viruses and some strains of Coxsackie B3 virus agglutinate human erythrocytes (3-7), and the evidence indicates that hemagglutination is due to the virus particle itself (3, 5, 6). The precise mechanism of attachment of enteroviruses to cells is unknown. Chymotrypsin treatment of erythrocytes prevents the absorption of some ECHO viruses (8). This suggests that the receptor sites on the erythrocyte may be at least in part protein in nature. The present communication is concerned with the mechanism of attachment of enteroviruses to cells. It is shown that sulfhydryl reagents block the hemagglutinating activity of enteroviruses. Treated virus fails to absorb to erythrocytes. Thiol compounds restore the hemagglutinating activity of enteroviruses treated with mercaptide-forming sulfhydryl reagents. The effect of sulfhydryl reagents on the infectivity of some enteroviruses is also described.

THE INACTIVATION OF ENTEROVIRUS INFECTIVITY BY THE SULFHYDRYL REAGENT p-CHLOROMERCURIBENZOATE

“…strain) (2), Coxsackie B3 (a hemagglutinating strain obtained from Dr. L. Rosen of the National Institutes of Health), and polio 2 (MEF1 strain). The propagation and storage of these viruses has been previously described (1). "Virus suspension" refers to virus-containing supematant fluid removed from cell cultures without prior freezing and thawing of cultures.…”

“…Cell Cultures.--Monkey kidney cdls were obtained as previously described (1), and grown in plastic culture dishes t 6 cm. in diameter in Hanks' solution (4) with 2 per cent calf serum and 0.5 per cent lactalbumin hydrolysate.…”

“…In preliminary experiments (1), it was also found that a number of sulfhydryl reagents decreased the infectivity of several enteroviruses. In the present communication, the results of further studies on the effects of a sulfhydryl reagent on the infectivity of enteroviruses are presented.…”

Effect of sulfhydryl reagents on the infectivity of vesicular stomatitis virus

“…In much earlier studies Philipson and Choppin (1960) had shown that different sulfhydryl blocking reagents vary considerably in their capacity to inactivate the infectivity of viruses. It seems likely that such differential reactivity could be due to the degree of permeability of the alkylating reagents.…”

“…It was found that a number of sulfhydryl binding reagents reduced the infectivity of various picornaviruses. A sulfhydryl reagent was also found to inactivate hemagglutination by a wide variety of enveloped viruses (Philipson and Choppin, 1960) as well as the infectivity of influenza virus although adsorption was not affected (Choppin and Philipson, 1961). Sulfhydryl reagents also lowered the infectivity of paramyxoviruses Choppin, 1974, 1977).…”