Integrin alpha(v)beta3 (vitronectin receptor) is a candidate receptor for the virulent echovirus 9 strain Barty.

Abstract

The enterovirus echovirus 9 strain Barty (E9/Barty) is pathogenic for newborn mice as well as for humans. In contrast to the apathogenic prototype strain Hill, strain Barty encodes an RGD motif in the C-terminal part of the structural protein VP1. Data are presented that show that E9/Barty binds its target cells via contact of the RGD motif to the alpha(v)beta3 integrin (vitronectin receptor), whereas prototype Hill uses a different, still unidentified receptor site. Furthermore, virus titres of murine muscle tissue were compared after infection of newborn and 1-, 2-, 3- and 12-week-old mice. The replication capacity of the virus decreased dramatically with age of the infected mice. Since E9/Barty does not replicate or replicates only poorly in mice older than about 5 days, and expression of the vitronectin receptor is reported to be down-regulated in striated muscle tissue during development, it is suggested that susceptibility of mice to this echovirus infection is controlled by the availability of alpha(v)beta3 integrin.

• Authors: Birgit Nelsen-Salz, Hans J Eggers, Holger Zimmermann
• Journal: The Journal of general virology (J Gen Virol) Vol. 80 ( Pt 9) Pg. 2311-2313 (Sep 1999) ISSN: 0022-1317 [Print] England
• PMID: 10501481 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Receptors, Virus
• Receptors, Vitronectin

Topics

• Animals
• Binding, Competitive
• Echovirus 9 (physiology)
• Mice
• Receptors, Virus (physiology)
• Receptors, Vitronectin (physiology)
• Virulence