Effect of Catanospermine, 1-Deoxynojirimycin or 1-Deoxymannojirimycin on Biological and Functional Activities of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Porcine Stable Kidney Cells

In the present study, effect of catanospermine (CST), 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) or 1-deoxymannojirimycin (DMJ) was studied on porcine stable kidney (PS) cells infected with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). As both CST and DNJ are potent inhibitors of ER alpha-glucosidases 1 and II, while DMJ is an inhibitor of Golgi mannosidase which removes alpha (1, 2) Man residues from the N-glycan precursor. Treatment of infected cells with CST (200 uM/mL), DNJ (100 uM/mL) or DMJ (200 uM/mL) did not produce much effect on viral gpE epitope presentation within the cells as well as on the cell surface as detected in the immunofluorescence employing monoclonal (MAbs) and polyclonal (PAbs) antibodies. As well the treated (infected) cells showed only a marginal decrease in infectious virus yield along with a slight decrease in haemagglutination activity of the virus that was recorded in comparison to the untreated infected (control) cells and the cells infected with Dengue virus. Immuno-blotting of the separated proteins from infected lysed cells and probed with anti-gpE MAbs also revealed a band corresponding to JEV gpE (MW 53 kDa) both with inhibitor treated and the untreated cells; the reactivity with the former however, was somewhat less intense and prominent in comparison to latter (control untreated) indicating some effect on JEV. The present results indicate that these inhibitors by in large, do not affect maturation and the release of infective JE virions in PS cells.