A Neutralizing Antibody Blocks Adenovirus Infection by Arresting Microtubule-Dependent Cytoplasmic Transport

Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA; Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA; Department of Virology, Schering-Plough Research Institute, 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: gnemerow{at}scripps.edu.

	Abstract

Neutralizing antibodies are commonly elicited by viral infection. Most antibodies that have been characterized block early stages of virus entry occurring before membrane penetration; whereas, inhibition of late stages in entry occurring after membrane penetration has been poorly characterized. Here we provide evidence that the neutralizing anti-hexon monoclonal antibody 9C12 inhibits adenovirus infection by blocking microtubule-dependent translocation of the virus to the microtubule-organizing center following endosome penetration. These studies identify a previously undescribed mechanism by which neutralizing antibodies block virus infection, a situation that may be relevant for other non-enveloped viruses that use microtubule-dependent transport during cell entry.