INFECTION WITH HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS ENHANCES BACTERIAL ADHESIVENESS AND INVASIVENESS IN PERMISSIVE AND SEMIPERMISSIVE CELLS

The effect of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection on adhesiveness a nd invasiveness of Salmonella typhimurium was examined in cells permis sive (human embryo fibroblasts (HE)), semipermissive (A549) and nonper missive (HEp-2) for the virus. Preinfection of the cells with HCMV ind uced enhanced adhesiveness and invasiveness of bacteria in the permiss ive HE cells. In the semipermissive A549 cells, where HCMV immediate-e arly (IE) mRNA transcripts and IE proteins were detected, a significan t effect on the initial phase of invasiveness, the adherence phase, wa s demonstrated. HCMV had no effect on invasiveness of S. typhimurium i n nonpermissive HEp-2 cells. Neither HCMV IE transcripts nor IE protei ns could be detected in these cells.