Effects of DEAE-dextran on infection and hemolysis by VSV. Evidence that nonspecific electrostatic interactions mediate effective binding of VSV to cells.

The polycation DEAE-dextran increased the binding of VSV to BHK cells about fourfold over a wide range of VSV concentrations. The same proportion of bound virions was internalized by the cell in the presence or absence of DEAE-dextran. Viral primary RNA production was increased to the equivalent of a 4- to 4.5-fold increase in multiplicity of infection in the presence of DEAE-dextran, closely paralleling the increase in total VSV binding to the cell. Viral secondary RNA production was increased only to the equivalent of about twofold increase in multiplicity. The kinetics of both primary and secondary RNA production were indistinguishable in the presence or absence of DEAE-dextran. DEAE-dextran had to be present simultaneously with the input virions in order to enhance RNA production; addition even 30 min after infection was ineffective. Addition of the polycation DEAE-dextran was also required for appreciable VSV-induced hemolysis of human erythrocytes; erythrocytes of several other species were hemolyzed in the absence of DEAE-dextran, but hemolysis was enhanced by its presence. Maximal binding and hemolysis occurred at pH 5.0 and 37 degrees. Vesicles containing only G protein and viral lipid were 40% as hemolytic as intact virions at pH 5.0, but were inactive at pH 6.0; "spikeless" virions lacking G, or protein-free viral lipid vesicles were not hemolytic, showing that G protein is necessary for hemolysis. These results, together with other recent observations, suggest that multiple electrostatic interactions between VSV and the cell surface, rather than an affinity for specific surface molecules, mediated the productive (infection producing) binding of VSV to the cell surface.