J. Taterka et al., SELECTIVE REOVIRUS INFECTION OF MURINE HEPATOCARCINOMA CELLS DURING CELL-DIVISION - A MODEL OF VIRAL LIVER INFECTION, The Journal of clinical investigation, 94(1), 1994, pp. 353-360
Reovirus type 1, strain Lang (1/L), can infect hepatocytes in vivo onl
y after hepatocellular damage is induced by hepatotoxins, surgical tra
uma, resection, or profound immunosuppression. To examine the role of
cell cycle and cellular differentiation on liver cell susceptibility t
o reovirus infection, a murine hepatocarcinoma cell line, Hepa 1/A1, w
as infected with reovirus and assayed for the presence of infectious v
irus or reovirus antigen in cells. Despite a > 95% binding of reovirus
to hepatocarcinoma cells as indicated by cytometric analysis; only 10
% of hepatoma cells contained infectious virus by infectious center as
say. In comparison, 100% of L cells were infected. Analysis of intrace
llular reovirus antigen revealed its presence in dividing but not in q
uiescent hepatocytes. This correlation of cellular division and cell c
apacity to support viral replication suggests that induction of hepato
cyte proliferation may be a mechanism for liver susceptibility to reov
irus infection.