Inhibitory effect of diamidinophenylindole on the replication of influenza virus in permissive cellular hosts. Brief report.

The production of avian and human strains of influenza virus was altered to various extents by treatment of various host cells with 40 micrograms/ml of diamidinophenylindole (DAPI). In infected LLC-MK 2 cells only an abortive replication cycle occurred; in other cell lines there was partial inhibition or no inhibition of replication. Virus polypeptide synthesis in LLC-MK 2 cells was confined to the early pattern of viral multiplication; only the P proteins, the nucleoprotein NP, and the non-structural protein NS 1 were synthesized. The stage of replication mainly affected by DAPI was between the fourth and the sixth hour after infection. The mode of action of the drug and its modulating effect on virus production is discussed.