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Physicochemical properties of pseudorabies virus hemagglutinin

J Kataoka1, Y Inaba, N Tetsu

  • 1Department of Veterinary Epizootiology, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nihon Univesity, Kanagawa, Japan.

Insights

Pseudorabies virus hemagglutinin binds mouse, but not cattle, red blood cells. This hemagglutinin, likely a glycoprotein, is located in the viral envelope and is sensitive to heat and certain enzymes.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an important pathogen affecting swine.
  • Hemagglutinin (HA) is a key viral surface protein involved in host cell attachment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the properties of PRV hemagglutinin.
  • To determine the cellular receptor and the nature of the hemagglutinin molecule.

Main Methods:

  • Erythrocyte adsorption assays at various temperatures.
  • Elution and inactivation studies using different chemical and enzymatic treatments.
  • Ultracentrifugation and sucrose density gradient centrifugation.
  • Virus fractionation using Nonidet P-40.

Main Results:

  • PRV hemagglutinin adsorbed to mouse erythrocytes but not cattle erythrocytes.
  • The receptor on mouse erythrocytes was inactivated by trypsin, suggesting a proteinaceous nature.
  • The hemagglutinin itself was inactivated by proteases, alpha-amylase, and detergents, indicating a glycoprotein structure.
  • Hemagglutinin was heat-labile above 60°C and resistant to UV irradiation.
  • Hemagglutination activity was associated with virus particles and located in the viral envelope fraction.

Conclusions:

  • PRV hemagglutinin exhibits specific binding to mouse erythrocytes.
  • The viral hemagglutinin is a glycoprotein component of the PRV envelope.
  • These findings contribute to understanding PRV-host interactions and viral structure.

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