INHIBITION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX, RABIES AND RUBELLA VIRUSES BY LECTINS WITH DIFFERENT SPECIFICITIES

A series of eleven lectins were investigated for their inhibiting acti vity towards herpes simplex type 1, rabies and rubella viruses. Herpes simplex virus adsorption was inhibited by Limulus polyphemus (LPA), C anavalia ensiformis (ConA) and wheat germ (WGA) agglutinins, whereas B auhinia purpurea (BPA) and soybean agglutinins were more effective if present during viral replication; rabies virus attachment to susceptib le cells was prevented by LPA and Narcissus pseudonarcissus (NPA) aggl utinin whereas WGA and BPA were inhibitory at a later step; rubella vi rus multiplication was affected only after the attachment step by NPA, ConA and WGA.