INFECTION BY ECHOVIRUSES-1 AND ECHOVIRUSES-8 DEPENDS ON THE ALPHA-2 SUBUNIT OF HUMAN VLA-2

Anti-VLA-2 antibodies protected HeLa cells from infection by echovirus es 1 and 8 but not from infection by other echovirus serotypes. Echovi ruses 1 and 8 bound to and infected nonpermissive hamster cells transf ected with the alpha2 subunit of human VLA-2. These results indicate t hat the human alpha2 subunit is critical for infection by echoviruses 1 and 8 but that other echovirus serotypes must bind receptors other t han VLA-2.