Bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein G is required for prevention of apoptosis and efficient viral growth in rabbit kidney cells

In rabbit kidney (RK13) cells, gG-negative BHV-1 exhibited significant defe cts in plague formation and growth compared to that of gG-positive BHV-1. R K13 cells infected with gG-negative BHV-1 exhibited a distinctive CPE and c ontained a larger number of cells stained with trypan blue dye compared to those infected with gG-positive strains, suggesting that gG-negative BHV-1 inflicted more damage to the infected cells than gG-positive BHV-1. Apoptot ic cell death was induced in RK13 cells infected with gG-negative BHV-1 wit hin 8 h. in contrast, the onset of apoptosis in gG-positive BHV-1-infected RK13 cells was around 12-16 h postinfection. In the presence of caspase inh ibitor Z-Asp-CH2-DCB, multiplication of gG-negative minus BHV-1 was signifi cantly increased. These results demonstrate that BHV-1 gG is involved in st abilizing the cell structure, postponing apoptotic process, and efficient B HV-1 replication in infected RK13 cells. (C) 2001 Academic Press.