Japanese encephalitis virus interacts with vimentin to facilitate its entry into porcine kidney cell line

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) requires the presence of an inexplicable cellular receptor on the surface of the host cell for its entry into the cell. The JEV envelope (E) protein has been shown to play an important role in attachment to cells. By using a widely accepted technique, virus overlay protein binding assay (VOPBA), a protein molecule of approximately 60 kDa, identified as vimentin by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF), was recognized on porcine kidney (PS) cells as a possible receptor for JEV. Further, anti-vimentin monoclonal antibodies were able to block JEV entry into the PS cells. Additionally, co-immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that vimentin protein present on the PS cells interacts with the JEV-E protein. These observations indicate that vimentin serves as a putative receptor for JEV in porcine kidney cells.