CONTRARY RESULTS ON MOUSE HEPATITIS-VIRUS TYPE-3 SUSCEPTIBILITY IN A J MOUSE HEPATOCYTES OF PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE TREATMENT AND OF A HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC DIET - NO CORRELATION WITH MEMBRANE FLUIDITY LEVELS/

The aim of this study was to examine whether or not membrane fluidity directly influences infection by enveloped viruses, and, more precisel y here, the susceptibility of A/J mouse hepatocytes to Mouse Hepatitis Virus type 3 (MHV3). We therefore studied, in parallel, the effects o n hepatocyte membrane fluidity and on intracellular viral titre of two treatments, i) a hypercholesterolaemic diet to increase the hepatocyt e membrane cholesterol content, ii) direct phosphatidylserine incorpor ation into hepatocyte membrane. Membrane fluidity was monitored on iso lated hepatocytes by fluorescence anisotropy with TMA-DPP, and the vir al titre was determined by plaque assay. The results clearly demonstra te that membrane fluidity is not directly involved in viral infection mechanisms. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.