The Effect of Enzymes on Structural and Biological Properties of Semliki Forest Virus

• Published in: Journal of general virology Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 129 - 143
• Main Author: Kennedy, S. I. T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Soc General Microbiol 01-05-1974
• Subjects: Antigens, Viral; Bromelains - pharmacology; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Galactosidases - pharmacology; Glycoproteins - isolation & purification; Hemagglutination, Viral - drug effects; Hemagglutinins, Viral; Hexosaminidases - pharmacology; Hydrolases - pharmacology; Immunodiffusion; Isoelectric Focusing; Neuraminidase - pharmacology; Phospholipases - pharmacology; Semliki forest virus - drug effects; Semliki forest virus - immunology; Viral Proteins - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-23-2-129

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV47AL
Treatment of purified Semliki Forest virus with neuraminidase released sialic acid, raised the isoelectric point of the virus by 0.35 pH units but had no effect on the infectivity, haemagglutinating (HA) activity or surface antigenic properties and did not alter the electrophoretic mobility of the envelope glycoproteins on polyacrylamide gels. Treatment of virus with a mixture of sugar hydrolases lowered infectivity and HA activity and slightly increased the electrophoretic mobility of the envelope glycoproteins, but had no measurable effect on surface antigenic properties. Treatment with bromelain digested the envelope glycoproteins, destroyed infectivity, HA activity and surface antigenicity and yielded a sub-viral particle containing lipid. Treatment of this particle with phospholipase C produced a core particle indistinguishable by sedimentation analysis from the nucleocapsids found in infected cells.
Received 16 November 1973;
accepted 3 January 1974.