Host induced modification of dengue 2 virus surface antigens in Aedes albopictus cells

Abstract

Infection of Singh's Aedes albopictus (Aal) cell line with dengue virus type 2 (strain New Guinea C) was found to be CPE-negative and to result in the recovery of exclusively mature virus particles or rapidly sedimenting hemagglutinin (RHA) in sucrose gradient analysis. This DEN-2 (Aal)/RHA was compared with the products of mammalian cell infection [DEN-2 (MK2)/RHA] and Aal carrier culture (CHA) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The polypeptides of DEN-2 (Aal) and CHA were hereby characterized for the first time. The polypeptide components of variously derived RHA undergo qualitative and/or quantitative changes in electrophoretic behavior accordingly, i.e., DEN-2 (MK2) < DEN-2 (Aal) < CHA. The foregoing changes in virion surface antigens, as such, representing host derived modification, substantiate previously observed alterations in biological and immunological properties of DEN-2 in persistently infected mosquito cells. The implications of these findings on the possible behavior of virus in arthropodan and vertebrate host can not be overemphasized.