title: Effect of cellular cholesterol depletion on rabies virus infection.
abstract: Although there are several reports on candidates for rabies virus (RABV) receptor, possible roles played by these receptor candidates in determination of highly neurotropic nature of RABV have not been well understood. Since these candidate receptors for RABV were reported to be frequently associated with cholesterol-rich microdomains characterized by lipid rafts and caveolae structures, we attempted to determine whether the disturbance of microdomains caused by the cholesterol depletion showed any effects on RABV infection. When the cellular cholesterol was depleted by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MBCD) treatment, increase in RABV adsorption and infection, but not multiplication rather than suppression was observed in both BHK-21 and HEp-2 cells. These effects exerted by MBCD treatment on RABV infection could be reversed by cholesterol reconstitution. These results suggest that RABV enters BHK-21 or HEp-2 cells through ports of entry other than those located on cholesterol-rich microdomains and raise the possibility that RABV uses different mechanisms to enter the non-neuronal cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 162-8640 Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. kozue@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kozue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Boldbarrtar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bazartseren
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaku
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okutani
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004705:Endocytosis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D011818:Rabies / Q000821:virology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D053585:Virus Attachment / Q000187:drug effects*; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; C108732:methyl-beta-cyclodextrin; D002784:Cholesterol