Primary effusion lymphoma cells undergoing human herpesvirus type 8 productive infection produce C-type retroviral particles.
Primary effusion lymphomas (PELs) are invariably infected by the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8)that is present in most PEL cells as latent virus but replicates in a subset of permissive cells to produce infectious progeny. Here we show that productively infected PEL cells release C-type retrovirus-like particles encoding an Mn++-dependent RT activity, which is typical of endogenous retroviruses. Strikingly, C-type particles are produced only in cells showing advanced HHV8 morphogenesis. Phorbol esters, which induce productive HHV8 replication and morphogenesis in PEL cells, increase RLP production. Phosphonoacetic acid, a blocker of HHV8 late gene expression, inhibits the production of C-type particles, whereas neutralizing anti-alphaIFN antibodies, which are known to increase HHV8 assembly, increases C-type particle production. These data suggest that factors expressed in advanced stages of HHV8 reactivation support endogenous C-type particle morphogenesis in PEL cells.
Tinari
A
A
Department of Technology and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Superti
F
F
Ammendolia
M G
MG
Chiozzini
C
C
Hohenadl
C
C
Leone
P
P
Nappi
F
F
Nicoletti
M
M
Borsetti
A
A
Marchetti
M
M
Ensoli
B
B
Monini
P
P
D002460:Cell Line; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D054685:Lymphoma, Primary Effusion / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000254:growth & development; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014771:Virion; D014779:Virus Replication