Effect of cellular cholesterol depletion on rabies virus infection

Although there are several reports on candidates for rabies virus (RABV) receptor, possible roles played by these receptor candidates in determination of highly neurotropic nature of RABV have not been well understood. Since these candidate receptors for RABV were reported to be frequently associated with cholesterol-rich microdomains characterized by lipid rafts and caveolae structures, we attempted to determine whether the disturbance of microdomains caused by the cholesterol depletion showed any effects on RABV infection. When the cellular cholesterol was depleted by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MBCD) treatment, increase in RABV adsorption and infection, but not multiplication rather than suppression was observed in both BHK-21 and HEp-2 cells. These effects exerted by MBCD treatment on RABV infection could be reversed by cholesterol reconstitution. These results suggest that RABV enters BHK-21 or HEp-2 cells through ports of entry other than those located on cholesterol-rich microdomains and raise the possibility that RABV uses different mechanisms to enter the non-neuronal cells.