On the membrane cytopathology of mouse hepatitis virus infection as probed by a semi-permeable translation-inhibiting drug.
Previous studies of the membrane fusion process have permitted the characterization of membrane permeability changes concomitant with MHV-induced cytopathology. One indication of membrane permeability in MHV-infected cells is their sensitivity to translation inhibition by the normally impermeable amino-glycoside, hygromycin B (Macintyre, G., Wong, F. and Anderson, R. (1989) J. Gen. Virol. 70, 763-768). In the present study, we examine the hygromycin B sensitivity of acutely infected mouse fibroblast L-2 cell and macrophage cultures as well as persistently infected mouse fibroblast LM-K cell cultures. The results suggest that membrane permeability alterations (as indicated by hygromycin B sensitivity) are a common feature of these MHV infections. Hygromycin B "cured" persistently infected LM-K cells as indicated by the absence of detectable virus antigen by immunofluorescence and by the absence of infectious virus even after removal of the drug or co-cultivation with untreated L-2 cells. The results argue against the maintenance of MHV infection by a mechanism involving latently or non-cytolytically infected cells. We conclude therefore that at least one mechanism for MHV persistence depends on virus propagation by cytolytic infection of a small, dynamically changing, fraction of the total cells present in culture.
Macintyre
G
G
Department of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Kooi
C
C
Wong
F
F
Anderson
R
R
D000818:Animals; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006921:Hygromycin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007739:L Cells / Q000166:cytology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008954:Models, Biological; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*
D006921:Hygromycin B