title: Saffold virus is able to productively infect primate and rodent cell lines and induces apoptosis in these cells.
abstract: Saffold virus (SAFV), a newly discovered human cardiovirus of the Picornaviridae family, causes widespread infection among children, as shown by previous seroprevalence studies. To determine the host cell range of SAFV and its cytopathogenicity, eight mammalian cell lines that were available in the laboratory were screened for productive SAFV infection by a laboratory-adapted SAFV of genotype 3. Five of the cell lines (Neuro2A, CHO-K1, NIH/3T3, Vero and HEp-2) were found to be permissible. The time required for SAFV to induce complete lysis as a cytopathic effect (CPE) in these permissibly infected cells and the resultant end point virus titer differed for each cell type. HEp-2 exhibited the shortest time frame to reach full CPE compared to the others. All infected cell lines produced a high virus titer at 72 h post-infection. In addition to causing lytic cell death, SAFV also induced apoptotic cell death in host cells through both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, although the apoptotic events in HEp-2 cells appeared to have been blocked between the early and late stages. In conclusion, laboratory-adapted SAFV is able to productively infect a number of mammalian cell lines and induce apoptosis in the infected host cells. However, apoptosis in HEp-2 cells is blocked before the end stage.
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117604, Singapore ; Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yishi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117604, Singapore ; Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Carla Bianca Luena
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Victorio
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117604, Singapore.
authors.forename: Qimei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Health System, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117597, Singapore ; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , Singapore 138673, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yee Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore , Singapore 117604, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kaw Bing
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Chua
keywords: Saffold virus; apoptosis; cytopathic effect; permissible cells