Isolation and characteristics of endocytic vacuoles containing the influenza virus
Slepushkin, V.A.; Grigor'ev, V.B.; Starov, A.I.; Klimenko, S.M.; Kornilaeva, G.V.
Voprosy Virusologii 31(2): 167-172
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0507-4088 PMID: 2873686 Document Number: 268848
Endocytic vacuoles (receptosomes) containing influenza virus were isolated from the cytoplasm of Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma cells and characterized. In the sucrose density gradient, the virus-containing material was detected in two peaks with a buoyant density of 1.175-1.16 and 1.155-1.135 g/cm3 with which the activity of marker enzymes of cell plasma membranes was associated. The virus was present in receptosomes in morphologically and electrophoretically intact condition. Examinations for the lipid composition of endocytic vacuoles showed the presence in their membranes of large amounts of cholesterol and glycolipids, particularly asialo-GM1 which, according to some authors may enhance the fusion of viral and cell membranes.