%0 Journal Article %A Nelsen-Salz, Birgit %A Eggers, Hans J. %A Zimmermann, Holger %T Integrin αvβ3 (vitronectin receptor) is a candidate receptor for the virulent echovirus 9 strain Barty %D 1999 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 80 %N 9 %P 2311-2313 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-80-9-2311 %I Microbiology Society, %X The enterovirus echovirus 9 strain Barty (E9/Barty) is pathogenic for newborn mice as well as for humans. In contrast to the apathogenic prototype strain Hill, strain Barty encodes an RGD motif in the C-terminal part of the structural protein VP1. Data are presented that show that E9/Barty binds its target cells via contact of the RGD motif to the αvβ3 integrin (vitronectin receptor), whereas prototype Hill uses a different, still unidentified receptor site. Furthermore, virus titres of murine muscle tissue were compared after infection of newborn and 1-, 2-, 3- and 12-week-old mice. The replication capacity of the virus decreased dramatically with age of the infected mice. Since E9/Barty does not replicate or replicates only poorly in mice older than about 5 days, and expression of the vitronectin receptor is reported to be down-regulated in striated muscle tissue during development, it is suggested that susceptibility of mice to this echovirus infection is controlled by the availability of αvβ3 integrin. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-80-9-2311