Enhancement of cytotoxicity against Vero E6 cells persistently infected with SARS-CoV by Mycoplasma fermentans.
We previously reported that cells with persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection were established after apoptotic events. In the present study, we investigated the cytopathic effects of dual infection with SARS-CoV and Mycoplasma fermentans on Vero E6 cells. Dual infection completely killed cells and prevented the establishment of persistent SARS-CoV infection. M. fermentans induced inhibition of cell proliferation, but the cells remained alive. Apoptosis was induced easily in M. fermentans-infected cells, indicating that they were primed for apoptosis. These results indicated that M. fermentans enhances apoptosis in surviving cells that have escaped from SARS-CoV-induced apoptosis.
Mizutani
T
T
Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan. tmizutan@nih.go.jp
Fukushi
S
S
Kenri
T
T
Sasaki
Y
Y
Ishii
K
K
Endoh
D
D
Zamoto
A
A
Saijo
M
M
Kurane
I
I
Morikawa
S
S
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000502:physiology*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000502:physiology*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology