Neuraminidase activity and syncytial formation in variants of parainfluenza 3 virus.

By a sensitive fluorometric assay method, we could definitely demonstrate neuraminidase activity for two variants of parainfluenza 3 virus, M and SC, which were previously shown to have no detectable neuraminidase activity. The enzyme activities of these viruses were very similar to each other, showing a much lower catalytic rate, a much higher Km value, and a more acidic pH optimum than those of the virus variants of high neuraminidase activity, 910N, LT, and MR. M and SC viruses eluted from guinea pig erythrocytes very poorly, whereas 910N and LT viruses eluted readily. M virus required the aid of a bacterial neuraminidase for effective growth and plaque formation in MDBK cells, but the virus grew well and formed plaques in R66 and Vero cells without the enzyme. SC virus required no exogenous neuraminidase for growth in all of these cell types. Depending on cell type, SC virus induced slight to extensive syncytial formation which was greatly inhibited by exogenous neuraminidase. In contrast, M virus induced extensive syncytial formation in all these cells regardless of the presence or absence of exogenous neuraminidase, although development and disintegration of the syncytia were more or less retarded by the enzyme, especially in MDBK cells. These results indicate that M virus possesses highly potent inducibility of syncytial formation which is further fortified by being low in viral neuraminidase activity.