[Reverse plaque formation by hog cholera virus inducing interference with VSV (author's transl)]

Infection of PK15 cells with various strains of Hog Cholera (HCV, togaviridae) induces a transient refractory state to VSV. The reverse plaque procedure is convenient for HCV titration of virulent, "chronic" and attenuated strains.

Interaction of vesicular stomatitis virus with lipid vesicles: depletion of cholesterol and effect on virion membrane fluidity and infectivity

Interaction with excess unilamellar phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles resulted in depletion of as much as 90% of the cholesterol from the membrane of intact vesicular stomatitis (VS) virus. The cholesterol depletion was not significantly influenced by the proteolytic removal of virion glycoprotein spikes, but it was temperature dependent. Cholesterol depletion caused substantial reduction in anisotropy of the VS virion membrane as measured by fluorescence depolarization of the lipophilic probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene; residual adsorbed vesicles represent a significant factor in this apparent increase in virion membrane fluidity. Interaction with PC vesicles resulted in a substantial loss of VS viral infectivity as measured by plating efficiency on L-cell monolayers. Reduction in infectivity appeared to be related to temperature-dependent depletion of virion cholesterol by PC vesicles. Interaction of VS virions with cholesterol-containing PC vesicles resulted in significantly less decline in infectivity, but attempts to restore cholesterol and infectivity to depleted VS virions were unsuccessful. Depletion of virion cholesterol apparently results through collision with PC vesicles rather than movement of cholesterol monomers or micelles through the aqueous phase, because PC vesicle-virion interaction in the presence of cholesterol oxidase did not result in substantial oxidation of translocated cholesterol.

In vivo and in vitro models of demyelinating diseases. II. Persistence and host-regulated thermosensitivity in cells of neural derivation infected with mouse hepatitis and measles viruses

Following inoculation of continuous cell lines of neural and other derivations, persistent infections are established with facility by mouse hepatitis and measles viruses. This occurs equally with the prototype MHV₃ and its neurotropic variant JHM as well as with the Edmonston vaccine and SSPE Hallé measles variants. In almost every instance that the infection becomes persistent at 32.5°, virus replication is found to be thermosensitive at 39.5°; however, progeny virus derived from such infections at 32.5° is itself thermostable when replicating in the indicator, fully permissive cell lines. The new data, therefore, reveal the existence of a host-conferred interrelationship between persistence and virus restriction at elevated temperature. They indicate that the two agents with neurotropic potential, when they become established as pathogens in the nervous system, could be under close host cell regulation involving as yet unknown mechanisms.

Coinfection with a rhabdovirus: vesicular stomatitis virus of Indiana and New-Jersey serotypes

Coinfection of cells with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) of Indiana and New-Jersey serotypes were performed. Thermosensitive mutants (ts) of VSV Indiana and the wild type strain (+) of New-Jersey were used. Harvests and titrations were made at permissive(PT) and nonpermissive (NPT) temperatures. It was shown that the harvest was mainly composed of one parental-like infectious particles. The dominance of one serotype over the other was shown to be a function of the relative multiplicity of the two viruses; the presence of a thermosensitive lesion imparts a disadvantage to the corresponding serotype. Non parental-like particles were also detected. As expected, these particles were detected only in two conditions. 1) Harvest performed at NPT and titrations allowed at PT.- Most of the infectious particles (i.e. twin particles) resistant to anti-Nj serum developped a plaque (i.e. mixed-plaque)containing virions of both serotypes: Indiana (ts) and New-Jersey (+). After sonication or EDTA treatment of the harvest, prior to titrations, no more mixed-plaques were formed. Examination of the harvest by electron microscopy showed that 7-17 % of the particles formed aggregates; therefore, it is likely that the twin-particles are in fact aggregates. 2) Harvest performed at PT and titrations allowed at NPT.-It has been shown that 1 % of the wild type infectious particles was resistant to anti-Nj serum even though being of Nj genotype. It was inactivated by a mixture of anti-Nj and anti-In sera and therfore behave as pseudotypes. But since twin particles, when plated at Nt, would give rise to an homogenous progeny from New-Jersey (+), they could be confused with pseudotypes. Under those conditions there is no absolute evidence that phenotypic mixing really occurs between VSV of Indiana and New-Jersey serotypes.

Murine interferon system regulation: isolation and characterization of a mutant 3T6 cell engaged in the semiconstitutive synthesis of interferon

We describe the isolation and characterization of a virus-resistant mutant of murine 3T6 cells. The mutant, designated 3T6-VrB2, displays a high degree of resistance to infection by members of the toga-, rhabdo- and picornavirus classes. The level of this resistance to infection is similar to the parent 3T6 pretreated with approximately 100 lU/ml of interferon. Upon co-cultivation of 3T6-VrB2 cells with interferon-sensitive mouse cells, an antiviral state is induced in the latter cells as measured by a reduction of virus yield following infection. The nature of the induction is defined by a series of experiments using anti-mouse interferon antiserum. In the presence of this antiserum, the ability of the mutant to induce an antiviral state in interferon-sensitive mouse cells upon co-cultivation is eliminated. Additionally, growth of the mutant cells in the presence of this antiserum causes a reversal of the virus-resistant phenotype. Our results indicate that 3T6-VrB2 contains a mutation affecting the regulation of the murine interferon system such that the cell is engaged in the semiconstitutive synthesis of interferon.

Evidence against the role of K+ in the shut-off of protein synthesis by vesicular stomatitis virus

Intracellular K+ ion concentration and transport were measured in L cells infected with wild type VSV, which rapidly inhibits total protein synthesis in infected cells, and with a mutant, RI, defective in this function. No alterations in intracellular K+ ion concentration or transport were observed until late in infection and the late changes seen were similar for both viruses. Thus the inhibition of total protein synthesis by VSV cannot be ascribed to virus induced changes in host K+ ion concentration.

Assembly of viral membranes: nature of the association of vesicular stomatitis virus proteins to membranes

To explore the interaction of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) proteins with cellular membranes, we have isolated membranes from infected cells that have been radioactively pulse-labeled. We have found conditions of isolation that result in membrane preparation which contain primarily the VSV membrane protein (M) and glycoprotein (G). Both of these proteins are very firmly attached to membranes: conditions known to release peripherally associated membrane proteins from membranes (S. Razin, Biochim, Biophys. Acta 265:241-246, 1972; S. J. Singer, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 43:805-826, 1974; S. J. Singer and G. L. Nicholson, Science 175:720-731, 1972) are ineffective in detaching either the G or the M protein. The results of trypsin digestion of these membrane fractions suggest that the M protein resides primarily on one side, the cytoplasmic side of cellular membranes, whereas the glycoprotein has been transported to the lumen of the membrane vesicle. However, we present evidence that the glycoprotein is transmembranal and that approximately 3,000 daltons of one end of the molecule is on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. We have also found that undenatured VSV M protein contains a trypsin-resistant core with a molecular weight of 22,000. This region of the M protein is trypsin-resistant regardless of its association with membranes.

Inhibition of RNA synthesis in mouse myeloma cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus

Infection of mouse myeloma cells (MPC-11) with vesicular stomatitis (VS) virus resulted in rapid and marked reduction in cellular RNA synthesis considerably before cell viability was compromised. Mouse myeloma cells responded maximally to viral infection at a multiplicity of 1 and were considerably more se;sitive to shut-off of RNA synthesis than were mouse L cells or BHK-21 cells. This inhibition of cellular RNA synthesis was shown not to be caused by differential membrane permeability of infected and uninfected MPC-11 cells to [3H]uridine, nor was it due to greater degradation of previously synthesized RNA. VS viral infection appeared not to impede transport of newly synthesized nuclear RNA to the cytoplasm; moreover, infected cells accumulated polyadenylated mRNA at the same rate as did uninfected cells. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of newly synthesized nuclear RNA demonstrated that the polydisperse nature and size distribution were not affected by VS viral infection. Isolated nuclei of infected MPC-11 cells also inhibited greatly impaired capacity to synthesize RNA despite the absence of cytoplasmic factors. Infected-cell cytosol did not inhibit transcription by uninfected-cell nuclei, nor did uninfected-cell cytosol reverse viral inhibition of nuclear transcription. Studies with alpha-amanitin revealed that VS viral infection inhibited the activity of polymerases I, II, and III, but only polymerase II was affected progressively throughout infection and to a much greater extent. These data suggest that, even at low multiplicities of infection, VS virus rapidly shuts off cellular RNA synthesis at the level of nuclear transcription.

Various heterologous cells exhibit interferon induced transfer of viral resistance

Previously it was shown that cocultivation of mouse L and human WISH or baby hamster kidney cells in the presence of mouse interferon resulted in decreased viral yield from both cell species. We now show that this phenomenon also occurs when rabbit kidney and human WISH cells, with their corresponding interferons, are cocultivated with human WISH and baby hamster kidney cells, respectively. This finding increases the number of donor cell types to three. The related finding that monkey VERO and chick embryo cells can be recipients of transferred resistance expands the number of heterologous recipient cell species capable of receiving transferred resistence to five. Not all cell types tested have been shown to function in this transfer system. The fact that VERO cells, which do not produce interferon, are capable of receiving transferred resistence is significant because it indicates that the mechanism of transfer does not involve production or interferon by the recipient cells.

Enhanced virus replication in mammalian cells exposed to commercial emulsifiers

Mammalian cell cultures were used to show that a variety of commercial emulsifiers are capable of enhancing the sensitivity of these cells to infection with several viruses. Some emulsifiers were not active as enhancers, and those viruses that responded to the enhancing emulsifiers were single-stranded ribonucldic acid viruses. The double-stranded viruses that were tested were nonresponders.

Ribosomal proteins in normal simian cells, SV40-transformed simian cells, and simian cells infected with SV40, adenovirus 5, and vesicular stomatitis virus

The protein patterns of monosomes and polysomes isolated from the T-22 line of SV40-transformed GMK cells and from uninfected CV-1 cells and CV-1 cells infected with SV40, adenovirus 5, or vesicular stomatitis virus were analyzed by two-dimensional PAGE. All gel patterns were similar except for the presence of one additional protein associated with T-22 monosomes.

Presence of human chromosome 21 alone is sufficient for hybrid cell sensitivity to human interferon

Human/mouse somatic cell hybrids with chromosome 21 as the only detectable human genetic material were sensitive to both human leukocyte and fibroblast interferons. The presence of additional human chromosomes decreased the amount of interferon needed to attain a given level of virus resistance. Decreased cytopathic effects, decreased virus yields, and the appearance of a specific phosphorylated protein associated with interferon treatment were all observed in hybrids maintaining only human chromosome 21. The phosphorylated protein found in extracts of these human interferon-treated hybrid cells was of mouse origin.