Latent infection of human ovarian teratocarcinoma cells with human cytomegalovirus

Summary

Persistent infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be established in cultures of human ovarian teratocarcinoma (PA₁) cells, and maintained for more than 200 days. Infected cultures maintained at 34°C (PA₁CMV₃₄) and 37°C (PA₁CMV₃₇) entered crisis and subsequently displayed massive cytopathic effects (CPE), whereas infected cultures maintained at 32°C (PA₁CMV₃₂) and 39°C (PA₁CMV₃₉) continued to release small amounts of infectious virus until 240 or 151 days post-infection (p. i.) respectively. PA₁CMV₃₂ cultures shifted to 37°C at 258 days p.i. resumed synthesis of infectious virus which resulted in cell destruction, indicating that latent infection with HCMV was maintained in PA₁ cells at 32°C. In contrast, PA₁CMV₃₉ cells did not produce infectious virus even when cultured at 37°C for more than 100 days after the temperature shift.