Effects of polyions on Japanese encephalitis virus: difference in interaction of virus with DEAE dextran and dextran sulfate between PS cell adapted and non-adapted virus

Morphological changes induced by dextran sulfate 500 in mononuclear phagocytes of listeria-infected mice

Morphological changes involving mononuclear phagocytes in Listeria-infected mice after treatment with dextran sulfate 500 were investigated. Mononuclear phagocytes in livers and spleens, both circulating monocytes and fixed macrophages, showed uptake of electron-dense material. Mononuclear phagocyte changes were most pronounced within granulomatous lesions, where many phagocytes showed large membrane-bound inclusions and extensive cellular damage. It is concluded that dextran sulfate 500 selectively damages mononuclear phagocytes and that, in listerial infection, dextran sulfate 500 renders mononuclear phagocytes unable to express cellular resistance.

Effects of Dextran Sulfate 500 on Cell-Mediated Resistance to Infection with Listeria monocytogenes in Mice

Injection of dextran sulfate 500 caused loss of antibacterial resistance. Mice became more susceptible to an infection with Listeria monocytogenes and were unable to develop antilisterial immunity after both active and passive immunization with passively administered spleen cells from Listeria-immune donors. Indirect evidence suggests that the phagocytic component of cell-mediated resistance to bacterial infection is the site of attack of dextran sulfate.

Characterization of a Sinbis virus variant with altered host range

A variant of Sindbis virus which is much more infectious for mouse cells than the standard virus has been examined for biochemical properties which might be responsible for this biological difference. The variant has a much enhanced ability to adsorb to mouse plasmacytoma (MOPC 315) cells, but when these cells were pretreated with heparin, they were able to adsorb the standard virus almost as well as the variant. This suggested that there was a surface charge difference between variant and standard virus. Differential elution of the viruses from hydroxyapatite and the results of isoelectric focusing of the virion glycoproteins substantiate this interpretation. Both viral glycoproteins E1 and E2 from the variant were more negatively charged than those of the standard virus but we were unable to find changes in tryptic peptides of the variant. Differences were found in stability of the two virus strains to heat and proteolytic enzymes.

Interaction of diphtheria toxin and its active subunit, fragment A, with toxin-sensitive and toxin-resistant cells

Diphtheria toxin and purified fragment A, the active subunit of the toxin, were tested on toxin-sensitive and permeability class toxin-resistant cultured mammalian cells. Protein synthesis was inhibited to the same degree in sensitive or resistant cells by active concentrations of purified fragment A. In contrast, resistant cells required a concentration of whole toxin 5 to 6 logs greater than that required by sensitive cells to achieve the same degree of inhibition. On a molar basis, the toxicity of fragment A was equivalent to that of whole toxin on resistant cells. These results are evidence for the existence of two independent mechanisms for the entry of toxin or its active moiety into cells. One mechanism is a highly efficient, toxin-specific entry mechanism, involving surface receptor and fragment B-mediated association, and is active in sensitive cells. The other is a less efficient, nonspecific mechanism, probably related to endocytosis, which is operative in sensitive and resistant cells but is inapparent in sensitive cells when they are exposed to whole toxin because of the action of the specific mechanism.