REVERSAL OF THE ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF RIBAVIRIN AGAINST SINDBIS VIRUSIN AE ALBOPICTUS MOSQUITO CELLS

Earlier work in our laboratory has shown that the replication of Sindb is virus in Aedes albopictus mosquito cells is inhibited by ribavirin (Rbv) and mycophenolic acid (MPA) (Sarver and Stollar (1978) Virology 91, 267-282; Malinoski and Stollar (1980) Virology 102, 473-476). We r eport here that the antiviral effect of Rbv and MPA can be reversed by depriving infected cells of methionine or isoleucine, or by treating them with fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) or cycloleucine. We suggest that, as was the case when the antiviral activity of Rbv was reversed by act inomycin D (Malinoski and Stollar (1981a) Virology 110, 281-291), thes e effects may be mediated by changes in the GTP pools of treated cells .