[Cellular laminin-binding protein and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus replication in Vero, 293 and 9S2 cells]

The level of laminin-binding protein (LBP) expression on cellular membranes was studied in three cell lines including 293 cells transformed by plasmide with human LBP gene. Vero cells show a high level of LBP on the cell surfaces and demonstrate a high level of the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus replication. The inhibition of VEE virus replication was more than 200 times as much after treatment of Vero cell surfaces with monoclonal antibodies to human LBP. 293 cells have more low level of LBP on their surfaces but being transformed by plasmide with LBP human gene these cells showed an increase in the level of cellular LBP. The VEE virus replication in transformed cells (9S2) was more than 2000 times higher compared to 293 cells. The results obtained demonstrate a principal role of cellular LBP in VEE virus entry into mammalian cells. It can be proposed that LBP is a key cellular protein at the early stage of VEE virus replication in cells. So, LBP might be a target protein for development of some new generation of antiviral drugs that would be able to inhibit (enhance) the alphavirus replication in human cells.