Interaction of tick/borne encephalitis virus with mouse peritoneal macrophages. The effect of antiviral antibody and lectin.

The interaction between tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus strain Hypr and mouse peritoneal macrophages was followed in vitro. Macrophages from juvenile mice (8-11 days old) were more permissive for virus infection than macrophages from adults (25-30 days old). Anti-TBE antibody in the subneutralizing dose increased the number of infected macrophages as well as virus release into the culture medium. Concanavalin A (con A), which bound to the virus as well as to the surface of macrophages, increased the uptake of the virus, but it neither enhanced the number of infected cells nor increased the virus release into medium. Antibody and lectin can modify the interaction between TBE virus and macrophages. Nevertheless, the Fc receptor-mediated endocytosis seems to be a necessary prerequisite for enhancing the effect of a ligand.