Insect cells membrane: sterols, fluidity and virus infection

M.A. BAQUÉ,; N.M.C. CASADO; V. GIORIA; J. CLAUS,; A. M. GENNARO

Buzios, Brasil

Congreso; VII Iberoamerican Congress of Biophysics, Buzios, Brasil, 30/9 al 3/10/09; 2009

Sociedade Brasileira de Biofisica

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Sterols are components of all eukaryotic membranes and are important regulators of membrane fluidity, and thus membrane properties and functions. In previous works were analyzed UFL-AG-286 cells previously treated with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, that reduced cellular sterol content, and then fed with either cholesterol or sitosterol emulsion in the culture medium. Infection kinetics showed to be influenced by the type of sterol used, but no measurable effect was observed on membrane fluidity. The aim of the present work was to adapt cells to grow in a cholesterol-free culture medium, in a cholesterol culture medium and in a sitosterol culture medium, and to correlate the dynamical properties of their plasma membrane with their response to baculovirus infection. The membrane fluidity in each group of live cells was estimated through EPR measurements with spin labels, while the susceptibility to viral infection was determined following the kinetics of AgMNPV virus adsorption. Weanalyze the response of the adapted cells and correlate the results with our previous experiments.