EFFECT OF ENZYMES ON THE INTERACTION OF ENTEROVIRUSES WITH LIVING HELA CELLS

Abstract

Zajac, Ihor (Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa.), and Richard L. Crowell. Effect of enzymes on the interaction of enteroviruses with living HeLa cells. J. Bacteriol. 89:574-582. 1965.-Eight crude enzyme preparations and two crystalline enzymes were tested for ability to inactivate coxsackie group B and poliovirus receptors on living HeLa cells. Receptor-destroying enzyme, erepsin, lysozyme, collagenase, proteinase, and cobra venom did not alter attachment of coxsackie B3 or poliovirus T1 to cells, whereas elastase prevented attachment of both viruses tested. Treatment of live cells with pancreatin or chymotrypsin rendered cells unable to attach group B coxsackie viruses, whereas cells treated with trypsin failed to attach poliovirus T1. In addition, chymotrypsin was found to release coxsackie B3 and poliovirus T1 from cell surfaces, whereas trypsin was unable to dissociate virus-cell union. These results indicate that cellular receptors for polioviruses differ from those for group B coxsackie-viruses. The finding that 1% solutions of enzymes will inactivate differentially the enteroviral receptors of HeLa cells, without altering cell viability, provides a useful approach for study of enterovirus receptors of live host cells.