Natural and induced synchronous cultures

Virus replication, cytopathology, and lysosomal enzyme response of mitotic and interphase Hep-2 cells infected with poliovirus

Mitotic Hep-2 cells, selected by the PEL (colloidal silica) density gradient method and held in mitosis with Colcemid, are readily infected by poliovirus type I (Mahoney). They produce and release the same amount of virus as interphase, random-growing cells. In contrast to interphase cells, mitotic cells show no detectable virus-induced cytopathic effect at the light microscopy level and only slight alterations, consisting of small clusters of vacuoles, at the electron microscopy level. Mitotic cells contain the same total amount of lysosomal enzymes per cell as interphase cells, but they display no redistribution of lysosomal enzymes during the virus infection as interphase cells do. This supports the view that lysosomal enzyme redistribution is associated with the cytopathic effect in poliovirus infection but shows that virus synthesis and release is not dependent on either the cytopathic effect or lysosomal enzyme release. The possible reasons for the lack of cytopathic effect in mitotic cells are discussed.

Separation of HeLa cells by colloidal silica density gradient centrifugation. I. Separation and partial synchrony of mitotic cells

Using a colloidal silica density gradient, HeLa cells in mitosis were found to have a density of 1.040-1.046 g/cc, lighter than the remaining interphase cells. The mitotic cells could be harvested and cultured after centrifugation, showing growth synchrony by measurement of a peak in mitotic index 21 hr after establishing the culture. By using Colcemid or vinblastine sulfate, HeLa cells were arrested in metaphase and centrifuged on the colloidal silica density gradient. The blocked metaphase cells were lighter in density than the interphase cells but somewhat more dense than untreated cells selected by the density gradient centrifugation. Near-equilibrium conditions were established during the centrifugation of cells so that cell density measurements could be made, and the gradient medium employed was not measurably toxic to those cells tested.