Host cell receptors for two strains of Sindbis virus

Experiments were performed to determine whether neuronal cells have different numbers of receptors for a neurovirulent and an avirulent strain of the same virus and whether neurotropic strains of different viruses share the same cellular receptors. Attempts were also made to characterize the receptors for the two strains of Sindbis virus on viable cells by studying their enzyme sensitivity. The number of cellular receptors available for Sindbis virus attachment to several cell lines was determined by saturation studies using two virus strains differing in their pathogenicity for adult mice. Cultured neuronal cells had 1.3 x 10(6) receptors for a neurovirulent strain (SaAr86) and only 5 x 10(4) for the avirulent prototype strain (EgAr339) of Sindbis virus. A refractory Lepidopteran cell type possessed 1 x 10(5) surface receptors for the neurovirulent variant while the average number of receptors on five permissive cell types was 1.5 x 10(6). Cellular receptors for the two strains of Sindbis virus on rat glioma cells were found to be distinct. The cellular receptors for EgAr339 on viable mammalian cells were sensitive to proteolytic cleavage, while those on living mosquito cells were insensitive to proteases, phospholipases and neuraminidase. The receptors for the neurovirulent variant on three mammalian cell types were less sensitive to enzymatic inactivation than those for the avirulent counterpart. After cleavage, the receptors for EgAr339 reappeared rapidly at 37 degrees and 4 degrees C, apparently in the absence of cellular synthesis.