INTERACTION OF KUNJIN VIRUS WITH OCTYL-D-GLUCOSIDE EXTRACTED VERO CELL PLASMA-MEMBRANE

Initial experiments using whole cells have shown that there were speci fic and saturable interactions between kunjin (KUN) virus and receptor molecules on the Vero cell surfaces. Solubilisation of Vero cell plas ma membranes with octyl-D-glucoside (OG) yielded an extract which also interacted specifically with KUN virus. This was proven using electro n microscopy. When the virus-OG-extract complex was exposed onto Vero cell monolayers, no KUN virus was observed to enter into the whole cel ls. This would imply that there was virus-receptor interaction with th e OG-extract leaving no free virus to attach to the whole cells. The a ttachment kinetics of KUN virus was studied further using the Scatchar d analysis which indicated the involvement of more than one interactiv e macromolecule in the attachment event. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience B.V.