Measles has a host range restricted to humans and monkeys in captivity. Fresh measles virus (MV) isolates replicate readily in several human and simian B-cell lines but need a period of adaptation to other types of cells. The identification of CD46 and CD150 (SLAM) as cellular receptors for MV has helped to clarify certain aspects of the immunobiology of MV infections. We have examined the prop...

The relative in vitro antiviral activities of three related nucleoside carboxamides, ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide), tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide), and selenazole (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylselenazole-4-carboxamide), were studied against selected DNA and RNA viruses. Although the activity of selenazole against different viruses varied, it...

The objective of our study was to examine fusional, hemolytic, hemagglutination and hemadsorption activities of the surface glycoprotein HN and F antigens of Newcastle disease (ND) virus, in vitro. The samples of activated ND virions, induced Vero cell fusion after 6h, 12h, 24h and 48h. After 24h of treatment of the inoculated Vero cells with dilutions of the specific immune sera against ND vir...

Clostridium difficile toxin B (269 kDa) is one of the causative agents of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Toxin B acts in the cytosol of eukaryotic target cells where it inactivates Rho GTPases by monoglucosylation. The catalytic domain of toxin B is located at the N terminus (amino acid residues 1-546). The C-terminal and the middle region of the toxin seem to be i...

The ionic requirements for entry of Shiga toxin into cells were examined by measuring inhibition of protein synthesis after short-term incubations with toxin. The sensitivity of Vero cells and HeLa cells to Shiga toxin was strongly dependent on the divalent cation present. Vero cells were most sensitive in the presence of CaCl2 and SrCl2, whereas HeLa cells were equally sensitive in the presenc...