Porcine rotaviral infection of cell culture: effects of certain enzymes.

Porcine rotaviral infectivity for continuous porcine kidney (PK-15) cells was enhanced by incorporation of pancreatic endopeptidases into the cell culture maintenance medium. Marked enhancement of infectivity was induced by trypsin, whereas elestase and alpha-chymotrypsin enhanced infectivity to a lesser extent. Bacterial protease also induced some enhancement of porcine rotaviral infectivity. A synergistic enhancement of porcine rotaviral infectivity was noticed with trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin combined. Porcine rotaviral infectivity was not affected by incorporation of alpha-amylase, alkaline phosphatase, beta-galactosidase, carboxypeptidase-A, deoxyribonuclease, enterokinase, lipase, or ribonuclease into the maintenance medium.