# IDENTIFICATION OF REOVIRUS RECEPTORS ON MAMMALIAN CELLS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 1987 · $99,351

## Abstract

The presence or absence of specific cell surface receptors on mammalian
cells play a role in vitro and are believed to be important in vivo, in the
species and tissue specificity of virus diseases of man and other animals.
In spite of this, the molecular structure and normal cellular functions of
cellular receptors for viruses are poorly understood.  Different strains of
mammalian reoviruses and reassortants derived from the two parent strains,
have different cellular tropisms (including neural cell tropism) in an in
vivo murine model, and different receptor specificity for host cells in
vitro.

We plan to exploit the reovirus system, to determine at a molecular level
the host cell surface components which promote attachment and entry of
different serotypes of reovirus into susceptible cells in vitro and in
vivo, in an effort to elucidate for one virus system, the molecular basis
of cellular and tissue tropism.  Proposed studies include:  (1) Specific
Sialyloligosaccharide Requirement on Host Cell Glycoproteins and/or
Glycolipids for Reovirus Binding and Infectivity.  These experiments will
involve restoration of infectivity for reoviruses by enzymatic
resialylation, and by the incorporation of highly purified gangliosides
into the cell membranes of desialylated host cells.  (2) Receptor Negative
Cells for Reovirus.  As for desialylated host cells, we will study the
effect of ganglioside incorporation into host cell membranes, on the
ability of reoviruses to bind to and infect reovirus resistant, receptor
negative cells.  (3) Binding of Reoviruses to Purified Gangliosides and
Sialoglycoproteins.  We will continue to characterize the
sialyloligosaccharide specificity of reovirus sigma 1 polypeptides, by
their ability to bind directly to highly purified gangliosides and
sialoglycoproteins of defined sequence.  (4) Receptor Variants.  We are
attempting to select reovirus strains which are resistant to the effects of
sialoglycoprotein attachment and infectivity inhibitors, to determine if
viral sialyloligosaccharide binding specificity is important for receptor
specificity and tissue tropism in vivo.  (5) Binding of Reovirus or Viral
Attachment Proteins to Plasma Membrane Components.  We plan to study the
neuraminidase and glycosidase sensitive and resistant, reovirus binding
components present in reovirus receptor positive and negative host cells,
in an effort to define components which are important for reovirus binding
to and infection of host cells.  (6) Monoclonal Antibodies.  Antibodies
recognizing different specific sialyloligosaccharide sequences or protein
components of host cells will be selected (or obtained) and tested for
their ability to inhibit virus attachment and infectivity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128249
- **Project number:** 5R01AI018848-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GM1XX56LEP58
- **Principal Investigator:** JON R GENTSCH
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $99,351
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-05-01 → 1988-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128249

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128249, IDENTIFICATION OF REOVIRUS RECEPTORS ON MAMMALIAN CELLS (5R01AI018848-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128249. Licensed CC0.

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