Summary auto-generated
This 1972 study investigated how glucosamine and 2-deoxy-D-glucose affect the multiplication of various enveloped and non-enveloped RNA viruses. Researchers found that glucosamine strongly inhibited the replication of fowl plague virus, Sindbis virus, and Semliki Forest virus, but had little to no effect on Newcastle disease virus and polio virus. The inhibition was selective: virus RNA and RNA polymerase synthesis proceeded at nearly normal levels, and RNP-antigen accumulated normally. However, the production of viral glycoproteins, particularly haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, was substantially reduced. Using fluorescent antibody staining, researchers observed that RNP-antigen appeared normally in nuclei and cytoplasm of glucosamine-treated cells, but haemagglutinin staining was faint in the cytoplasm. Glucosamine also abolished the virus-induced alterations of cell surface properties measured by agglutinability with Concanavalin A. The compound had to be present during the period of haemagglutinin production and virus maturation to be effective. Similar but slightly stronger inhibitory effects were observed with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The authors concluded that glucosamine interferes specifically with carbohydrate-containing viral envelope components, likely by disrupting UDP-N-acetylglucosamine availability.
Key findings
- Glucosamine selectively inhibited multiplication of enveloped RNA viruses (influenza, Sindbis, Semliki Forest) but not non-enveloped viruses or some paramyxoviruses
- Viral RNA and RNA polymerase synthesis were nearly normal in glucosamine-treated cells; only glycoprotein production was impaired
- Glucosamine must be present during haemagglutinin synthesis and virus maturation to exert its inhibitory effect
- The compound prevented virus-induced cell surface modifications detected by Concanavalin A agglutination
- 2-deoxy-D-glucose showed similar but slightly stronger inhibitory effects than glucosamine
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Abstract
Glucosamine inhibited the formation of infectious fowl plague, Sindbis, and Semliki Forest virus but had little or no effect on the multiplication of vesicular stomatitis, Newcastle disease, and polio virus. 2-deoxy-D-glucose had a somewhat stronger effect than glucosamine. Only the production of virus glycoproteins seemed to be affected. Almost normal amounts of virus RNA and RNA polymerase were synthesized, and RNP-antigen activities reached control levels. After infection with fowl plague virus the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells incubated with glucosamine showed brilliant staining with fluorescent antibodies against RNP-antigen, whereas haemagglutinin-specific fluorescence was visible weakly in the cytoplasm. The virus-induced alterations of the cell surface, as measured by the agglutinability with Concanavalin A, were abolished by glucosamine.