Premium
The effect of an agglutogen on virus infection: biotinylated filamentous phages and avidin as a model
Author(s) -
Nakamura Michihiro,
Tsumoto Kouhei,
Ishimura Kazunori,
Kumagai Izumi
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02772-2
Subject(s) - avidin , biotinylation , biotin , bacteriophage , antibody , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , chemistry , biology , escherichia coli , biochemistry , immunology , gene
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 ≥2 μg/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 ≥0.1 μg/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.