The effect of neurotoxin on rabies virus binding to mouse neuroblastoma cells

Mouse neuroblastoma cells were exposed to alpha bungarotoxin, a neurotoxin known to inhibit rabies virus binding to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor located at the neuromuscular junction in muscle tissue. The total amount of 3H-CVS virus that bound to neurotoxin treated cells was separated into specific and non-specific binding using a cold competition assay. Comparison of untreated and neurotoxin treated cells demonstrated that the majority of cell-associated virus in untreated cells was of a specific nature whereas the majority of the cell-associated virus in neurotoxin treated cells was due to non-specific binding.