[The penetration of the Marburg virus into eukaryotic cells]

The early stages of infection of Vero-E6 cell culture with Marburg virus, a member of filovirus family, highly pathogenic for man, were studied. Virus multiplication was completely or significantly inhibited by lysosomotropic agents (LTA) of two types: weak base (ammonium chloride) and ionophore monensin. The level of the inhibiting effect was proportional to LTA concentration and was maximal when the drug was introduced into the culture medium before virus inoculation. Complete inhibition of Marburg virus replication in Vero-E6 cells in the presence of 20 (30) mM ammonium chloride ("lysosomotropic blocking") was overcome by a short-time treatment of the cell culture with the virus adsorbed on it using a medium with a weak-acid pH (4.0-5.0). The results are discussed from the point of view of the mode of this virus penetration into eukaryotic cells.