Varicella-zoster virus infection of a human CD4-positive T-cell line.
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human alpha-herpesvirus that causes varicella (chickenpox) at primary infection and may reactivate as herpes zoster. VZV is a T-lymphotropic virus in vivo. To investigate the T-cell tropism of VZV, we constructed a recombinant virus expressing green fluorescent protein (VZV-GFP) under the CMV IE promoter. Coculture of VZV-GFP-infected fibroblasts with II-23 cells, a CD4-positive human T-cell hybridoma, resulted in transfer of virus to II-23 cells. II-23 cells are susceptible to VZV-GFP infection as demonstrated by expression of immediate/early (IE62), early (ORF4), and late (gE) genes. Recovery of infectious virus was limited, with only 1 to 3 in 10(6) cells releasing infectious virus by plaque assay, indicating that transfer of virus results in a limited productive infection. In vitro infection of II-23 cells will be useful for further analysis of VZV tropism for T-lymphocytes.
Zerboni
L
L
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5208, USA. zerboni@leland.stanford.edu
Sommer
M
M
Ware
C F
CF
Arvin
A M
AM
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000821:virology*; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000821:virology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014779:Virus Replication