PUTATIVE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS-SPECIFIC RECEPTOR PROTEINS ON THE MIDGUT BRUSH-BORDER MEMBRANE OF AEDES-AEGYPTI MOSQUITO

Two proteins (putative receptors) of 60 and 38kDa, for chikungunya (CH IK) virus were detected in tile brush border membrane fraction (BBMF) of the normal population of Aedes negypti mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were infected orally with CHIK virus and infectivity checked by testing the head squashes. BBMF was prepared from proved positive and negative mo squitoes. The receptor proteins were found to be present in both tile proved genotypes. However, dot-b'ot assays showed that the CHIK virus binding activity of BBMF/mg protein was noticeably low in the proved n egative mosquitoes as compared to the positives. BBMF from the larvae of the normal populations also showed the presence of the receptor pro teins, binding to CHIK virus. Receptor proteins from larvae as well as the adults were found glycosylated. CHIK virus receptor proteins of 2 4, 45, 58, 60 and 62kDa were also seen in the membrane fraction of the C6/3G cells.