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J. Virol., 07 1996, 4655-4666, Vol 70, No. 7
CH Bair, CS Chung, IA Vasilevskaya and W Chang
The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line is nonpermissive for vaccinia
virus, and translation of viral intermediate genes was reported to be
blocked (A. Ramsey-Ewing and B. Moss, Virology 206:984-993, 1995). However,
cells are readily killed by vaccinia virus. A vaccinia virus- resistant CHO
mutant, VV5-4, was isolated by retroviral insertional mutagenesis. Parental
CHO cells, upon infection with vaccinia virus, die within 2 to 3 days,
whereas VV5-4 cells preferentially survive this cytotoxic effect. The
survival phenotype of VV5-4 is partial and in inverse correlation with the
multiplicity of infection used. In addition, viral infection fails to shut
off host protein synthesis in VV5-4. VV5-4 was used to study the
relationship of progression of the virus life cycle and cell fate. We found
that in parental CHO cells, vaccinia virus proceeds through expression of
viral early genes, uncoating, viral DNA replication, and expression of
intermediate and late promoters. In contrast, we detect only expression of
early genes and uncoating in VV5-4 cells, whereas viral DNA replication
appears to be blocked. Consistent with the cascade regulation model of
viral gene expression, we detect little intermediate- and late-gene
expression in VV5-4 cells. Since vaccinia virus is known to be cytolytic,
isolation of this mutant therefore demonstrates a new mode of the cellular
microenvironment that affects progression of the virus life cycle,
resulting in a different cell fate. This process appears to be mediated by
a general mechanism, since VV5-4 is also resistant to Shope fibroma virus
and myxoma virus killing. On the other hand, VV5-4 remains sensitive to
cowpox virus killing. To examine the mechanism of VV5-4 survival, we
investigated whether apoptosis is involved. DNA laddering and staining of
apoptotic nuclei with Hoechst 33258 were observed in both CHO and VV5-4
cells infected with vaccinia virus. We concluded that the cellular pathway,
which blocks viral DNA replication and allows VV5-4 to survive, is
independent of apoptosis. This mutant also provides evidence that an
inductive signal for apoptosis upon vaccinia virus infection occurs prior
to viral DNA replication.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
Isolation and characterization of a Chinese hamster ovary mutant cell line with altered sensitivity to vaccinia virus killing
Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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