Reovirus M2 gene is associated with chromium release from mouse L cells.

In this study, we investigated the interaction of reovirus particles with cell membranes by using a 51Cr release assay. We confirmed prior observations (J. Borsa, B. D. Morash, M. D. Sargent, T. P. Copps, P. A. Lievaart, and J. G. Szekely, J. Gen. Virol. 45:161-170, 1979) that intermediate subviral particles (ISVPs) of reovirus type 3 strain Abney (T3A) induced the release of 51Cr from preloaded L cells and showed that the intact virion and core forms did not. Reovirus type 1 strain Lang (T1L) ISVPs were found to be less efficient at 51Cr release than T3A ISVPs. Reassortants between these strains indicated that the 51Cr release phenotype segregates with the M2 gene segment. Biochemical studies indicated that the ISVPs' acquisition of the capacity to induce 51Cr release followed the cleavage of the viral M2 gene product mu 1/mu 1C to fragments delta and phi during virion conversion to ISVP but did not directly correlate with this cleavage. These studies suggest that the reovirus M2 gene product (in its cleaved form) plays a role in interacting with cell membranes.