title: [Preliminary study on human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-293 after porcine endogenous retrovirus infection].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the infectivity of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) via in vitro infection of human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-293.
  
  
  METHODS
  PERV particles were detected by immunoelectron microscopy. PERV DNA and mRNA were studied in HEK-293 24 hours after the infection using polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcriptase-PCR respectively. The PERV types were also analyzed. PERV-gag protein was observed by confocal microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retroviral particles were round under electron microscope. PERV-gag pol gene and gag protein were detected and expressed in the infected HEK-293 cells. The types of PERV were PERV-A and PERV-B. PERV-gag protein was also identified in the cytoplasm of infected cells by confocal microscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PERV is able to infect HEK-293 cell line in vitro; types of PERV-gag protein is also expressed as a result. Further studies are thus necessary in order to evaluate the possibility of xenozoonoses in pig-to-human xenotransplantation.
authors.affiliation: Lab of Transplantation Engineering and Immunology, Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Sheng-fu
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: You-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing-qiu
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D012333:RNA, Messenger