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Canine Distemper Virus Infection Requires Cholesterol in the Viral Envelope

Institute of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany,¹ INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, University of Quebec, Laval, Quebec, Canada²

Received 30 November 2006/ Accepted 23 January 2007

Cholesterol is known to play an important role in stabilizing particular cellular membrane structures, so-called lipid or membrane rafts. For several viruses, a dependence on cholesterol for virus entry and/or morphogenesis has been shown. Using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that infection of cells by canine distemper virus (CDV) was not impaired after cellular cholesterol had been depleted by the drug methyl-ß-cyclodextrin. This effect was independent of the multiplicity of infection and the cellular receptor used for infection. However, cholesterol depletion of the viral envelope significantly reduced CDV infectivity. Replenishment by addition of exogenous cholesterol restored infectivity up to 80%. Thus, we conclude that CDV entry is dependent on cholesterol in the viral envelope. Furthermore, reduced syncytium formation was observed when the cells were cholesterol depleted during the course of the infection. This may be related to the observation that CDV envelope proteins H and F partitioned into cellular detergent-resistant membranes. Therefore, a role for lipid rafts during virus assembly and release as well is suggested.

Published ahead of print on 31 January 2007.