title: The effect of an agglutogen on virus infection: biotinylated filamentous phages and avidin as a model.
abstract: To address the effect of an agglutogen on virus infection, we studied the avidin-associated inhibition of infection by biotinylated M13 phages (BIO-phages). Microscopic observation of mixtures of BIO-phages and avidin-fluorescein conjugates revealed many aggregates. Even at low phage concentrations, avidin induced inhibition of infection significantly. Anti-M13 phage antibody also made aggregates and inhibited the infection but in a different manner from avidin. The inhibition by avidin was at > or = 2 microg/ml, time dependent and marked until 10 min after the mixing of the BIO-phages and Escherichia coli. On the other hand, antibody inhibited the infection at > or = 0.1 microg/ml dose dependently, and the inhibition was time dependent and marked until 45 min after the mixing at moderate and low phage concentrations. These results indicate that avidin against BIO-phages and antibodies are agglutogens, and the inhibition of the BIO-phages by avidin is closely related to the tetramerization of avidin. Agglutogens may be novel alternative antiviral drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan. michy@basic.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kouhei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsumoto
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishimura
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kumagai
mesh_terms: D001360:Avidin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017104:Bacteriophage M13 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D001710:Biotin / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D013997:Time Factors; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D001360:Avidin; D001710:Biotin