title: Ficoll and dextran enhance adhesion of Sendai virus to liposomes containing receptor (ganglioside GD1a).
abstract: Previous work has shown that high-speed centrifugation (300,000 g) of Sendai virus and liposomes in 40% (w/v) sucrose layered under a discontinuous sucrose gradient removes Sendai virus bound to liposomes containing the ganglioside GD1a, a Sendai virus receptor. Centrifugation also removes virus bound to liposomes containing other negatively charged lipids. This work shows that centrifugation of virus through a discontinuous ficoll gradient does not remove virus bound to liposomes containing GD1a but does remove virus from liposomes containing various other negatively charged lipids including the ganglioside GM1, which is not a Sendai virus receptor. The amount of virus that adheres to liposomes increases with increasing content of GD1a in the liposomes. The adhesion of virus to receptor-containing liposomes during centrifugation through a ficoll gradient results from the presence of ficoll and increases with increasing ficoll concentration. Virus also adheres to receptor-containing liposomes during centrifugation in the presence of dextran. These data indicate that caution should be used in interpreting associations demonstrated by centrifugation through dextran and ficoll gradients. They also indicate that binding of virus by ganglioside receptors can be modulated by carbohydrate polymers, which are thought not to have any specific interaction with either viruses or gangliosides.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003911:Dextrans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005362:Ficoll / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000502:physiology*; D008081:Liposomes; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D005732:Gangliosides; D008081:Liposomes; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011991:Receptors, Virus; C021298:ganglioside, GD1a; D005362:Ficoll