Identification of Echovirus 1 and coxsackievirus A9 receptor molecules via a novel flow cytometric quantification method.

Virus-receptor binding is an essential step in every virus infectious process. Many viruses employ more than one receptor molecule or even receptor complexes for attachment. In this study, we investigate the binding of Echovirus 1 (Echo1) and Coxsackievirus A9 (CAV-9) on cell surface molecules. CAV-9 has been reported to utilize integrin alpha v beta(3) in binding to cells, whereas Echo1 has been known to utilize integrin alpha 2 beta(1). METHODS AND RESULTS We directly test whether the presence of these molecules alone was sufficient for virus binding. We devised a novel flow cytometric binding assay that enables us to quantify virus particles bound on host cells and to further determine the extent to which viruses utilize specific receptors. By quantifying virus particles and possible receptor molecules, we found that Echo1 utilizes mainly integrin alpha 2 beta(1). CAV-9 utilizes integrin alpha v beta(3) to a much lesser extent (40%), indicating that CAV-9 also utilizes other receptor(s).