title: Porcine circovirus type 2 displays pluripotency in cell targeting.
abstract: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the causative agent of a multifactorial disease associated with immunocompromisation and co-infections. In vivo, viral DNA and antigens are found in monocytic, epithelial and endothelial cells. Of these, PCV2 replication has only been studied in monocytic cells, in which little or no replication was identified. Accordingly, PCV2 infection was studied in the endothelial cell line PEDSV.15, aortic endothelial cells, gut epithelial cells, fibrocytes and dendritic cells (DC). In all cells except DC PCV2 replication was detectable, with an increase in the levels of capsid and replicase protein. Variations in endocytic activity, virus binding and uptake did not relate to the replication efficiency in a particular cell. Furthermore, replication did not correlate to cell proliferation, although a close association of viral proteins with chromatin in dividing cells was observed. No alteration in the division rate of PCV2-infected cultures was measurable, relating to replicase expression in only a small minority of the cells. In conclusion, the broad cell targeting of PCV2 offers an explanation for its widespread tissue distribution.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunoprophylaxis, Sensemattstrasse 293, 3147 Mittelhäusern, Switzerland. esther.steiner@ivi.admin.ch
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balmelli
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Summerfield
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCullough
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017925:Circovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000821:virology; D004705:Endocytosis; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000821:virology; D013552:Swine; D053585:Virus Attachment; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase