BOVINE HERPESVIRUS-1 INFECTION REDUCES BRONCHIAL EPITHELIAL-CELL MIGRATION TO EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX PROTEINS

Repair of airway epithelium after viral infection involves migration o f epithelial cells to cover injured, denuded areas. We determined whet her viral infection reduces the capability of bronchial epithelial cel ls to migrate and to attach to extracellular matrix proteins. Inoculat ion of bovine bronchial epithelial cells in vitro with bovine herpesvi rus-1 reduced their ability to migrate in two different assays of cell migration. When attachment assays were performed, fewer cells attache d to both control wells and matrix protein-precoated wells, suggesting that general mechanisms of adherence to substrates were altered by vi ral infection. Focal contact points of epithelial cells with the under lying matrix were evaluated with epifluorescence microscopy and monocl onal antibodies to vinculin and alpha(v), an integrin chain. Disruptio n of focal contact points was seen early after infection and was preve nted by an inhibitor of viral DNA polymerase, phosphonoacetic acid. Cy cloheximide did not cause similar disruptions of focal contacts at ear ly time points. Viral infection thus has marked effects on the interac tions of bronchial epithelial cells with extracellular matrix and the organization of matrix to cytoskeleton links. The effects appear to be dependent in part on viral replication in the cells and are not simpl y due to reductions in host cell protein synthesis.