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Receptors for rabies virus Volume 4, issue 1, Janvier - Février 2000

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Authors
Groupe de neuro-immunologie virale, Unité de neurovirologie et régénération du système nerveux, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur-Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15

The early interaction of rabies virus, a neurotropic virus, with cells in culture and in vivo has been extensively investigated to define the nature of cell surface receptors for this virus. It has been shown that rabies virus binds to specific saturable receptor(s) on cell in culture. Several molecules have been described to act as rabies virus receptors. Beside non protein molecules (such as gangliosides, phospholipids and carbohydrates), three major proteins have been involved in rabies virus entry into the cell: the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR), and more recently the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and the low affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (p75NTR). The main experiments establishing the involvement of those different molecules in rabies virus entry into the cell are reported in this revue. The use of these receptors by the different rabies virus strains and their implications in rabies virus tropism are also discussed.