Lentz T L, Wilson P T, Hawrot E, Speicher D W
Science. 1984 Nov 16;226(4676):847-8. doi: 10.1126/science.6494916.
Evidence was presented earlier that a host-cell receptor for the highly neurotropic rabies virus might be the acetylcholine receptor. The amino acid sequence of the glycoprotein of rabies virus was compared by computer analysis with that of snake venom curaremimetic neurotoxins, potent ligands of the acetylcholine receptor. A statistically significant sequence relation was found between a segment of the rabies glycoprotein and the entire sequence of long neurotoxins. The greatest identity occurs with residues considered most important in neurotoxicity, including those interacting with the acetylcholine binding site of the acetylcholine receptor. Because of the similarity between the glycoprotein and the receptor-binding region of the neurotoxins, this region of the viral glycoprotein may function as a recognition site for the acetylcholine receptor. Direct binding of the rabies virus glycoprotein to the acetylcholine receptor could contribute to the neurotropism of this virus.
先前已有证据表明，高度嗜神经的狂犬病毒的宿主细胞受体可能是乙酰胆碱受体。通过计算机分析，将狂犬病毒糖蛋白的氨基酸序列与蛇毒类箭毒神经毒素（乙酰胆碱受体的有效配体）的氨基酸序列进行了比较。在狂犬病毒糖蛋白的一个片段与长神经毒素的整个序列之间发现了具有统计学意义的序列关系。最大的同源性出现在被认为对神经毒性最重要的残基上，包括那些与乙酰胆碱受体的乙酰胆碱结合位点相互作用的残基。由于糖蛋白与神经毒素的受体结合区域之间存在相似性，病毒糖蛋白的这一区域可能作为乙酰胆碱受体的识别位点发挥作用。狂犬病毒糖蛋白与乙酰胆碱受体的直接结合可能有助于该病毒的嗜神经性。
