title: Comparison of the replication of distinct strains of human coronavirus OC43 in organotypic human colon cells (Caco-2) and mouse intestine.
abstract: Three strains of human coronavirus (HCV) OC43 were compared for their ability to cause enteric infections and to induce interferon alpha (IFN alpha) using the Caco-2 human colon carcinoma cell line which exhibits spontaneous epithelial differentiation in vitro. MRC-5 cell culture grown stocks were prepared from: 1. CV Paris, a strain of OC43 recovered from an outbreak of necrotizing enterocolitis in newborns. 2. CV Mb, a neurotropic strain of OC43 which exhibits strict neuronal specificity in murine neuronal cell cultures. 3. CV Rd, a strain of OC43 which grows to a high titer in human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Immunofluorescent staining for nucleocapsid antigen and plaque assay in MRC-5 cells was used to detect viral replication. BG-9 (human foreskin) cells challenged with vesicular stomatitis virus were used to detect IFN alpha production by human peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) stimulated by virus infected Caco-2 cells. Caco-2 cells infected with virus at a multiplicity of infection of 0.5 yielded 10(4.6) and 10(4.4) plaque forming units/ml (pfu/ml) with CV Rd and CV Paris respectively, while CV Mb yielded only 10(3) pfu/ml. Caco-2 cells infected with CV Rd induced 64 IU/ml of IFN alpha in PBMC while these cells infected with CV Paris induced less than 2 IU/ml IFN alpha. In cells infected with CV Mb 4 IU/ml IFN alpha was detected. The results suggest that a lack of IFN alpha induction by CV Paris may be an indicator of its enteropathogenic potential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Microbiology, State University of New York, Buffalo 14214.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002460:Cell Line; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms; D003332:Coronaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011247:Pregnancy; D014774:Virulence; D014779:Virus Replication