Effect of panosialin on myxoviruses.

Panosialin is a new type of metabolite, inhibiting sialidases of myxoand paramyxoviruses and various other enzymes under certain conditions. It also inactivated both hemagglutinating activity and infectivity of influenza virus. The inactivating activity of panosialin was more potent than that of sodium dodecyl sulfate or sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate. Treatment with panosialin causes destruction of influenza virus particles to smaller particles of about 7 to 10 nm in diameter which can be shown by electron microscopy and by the lower sedimentation rate in ultracentrifugation. Panosialin apparently caused disruption of influenza virus particles. The effect of panosialin was reversed by the pretreatment with bovine albumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]