THE HYDROPHOBIC MANNOSE DERIVATIVE 1B6TM EFFICIENTLY INHIBITS BORNA-DISEASE VIRUS IN-VITRO

alpha-D-Mannnose occupies the terminal position on the N-linked carboh ydrate side chain of BDV-specific gp17 (Stoyloff at al., 1994). A hydr ophobic derivative of this sugar residue, the 1-O-benzyl-6-O-trityl-al pha-D-mannnopyranoside (1BGTM), showed a potent and selective inhibiti on of BDV-replication in vitro, using a range of host-cell/virus syste ms. When tested in comparison with the unmodified sugar, 1B6TM inhibit ed the infection in a dose-dependent manner up to 100% without effecti ng cell viability. After removal of the compound, the antiviral effect remained for several hours. These results suggest that simple modifie d carbohydrate molecules of BDV-specific sugar residues are able to in terfere with virus replication.