Replication of Junin virus in the presence of tunicamycin.

In the presence of tunicamycin (TM), an antibiotic which inhibits glycosylation, Junin virus-infected cells released 70% as much virus as control cultures, as measured by [35S]-methionine appearing in a sucrose gradient virus particle fraction. In this same fraction, the incorporation of [14C]-glucosamine was inhibited 85% by TM, accompanied by a dramatic decrease in the envelope glycoprotein, Gp38, and a marked decrease in virus infectivity. These results indicate that the presence of Gp38 on the viral surface is essential for viral infectivity. In contrast, maturation and release of virus particles do not seem to be affected by the absence of Gp38 from the viral envelope.