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Mononuclear Phagocytes and HSV‐1 Infection: Increased Permissivity in Differentiated U937 Cells Is Mediated by Post‐Transcriptional Regulation of Viral Immediate‐Early Gene Expression
Author(s) -
Kemp L.M.,
Estridge J.K.,
Brennan A.,
Katz D.R.,
Latchman D.S.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1002/jlb.47.6.483
Subject(s) - biology , gene expression , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , regulation of gene expression , u937 cell , virology , transcriptional regulation , gene , immunology , viral infection , hsl and hsv , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , virus , genetics , in vitro
Undifferentiated U937 cells are non‐permissive for herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection but can be rendered permissive by treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), which causes them to differentiate to a macrophage‐like phentoype. Following infection with HSV, both PMA—treated and untreated cells correctly transcribe the viral immediate‐early genes at levels comparable to those observed in fully permissive cell types, but immediate‐early RNA and protein are detected only in the PMA‐treated cells. Hence PMA acts by relieving an early block to HSV infection caused by the rapid turnover of immediate‐early RNA. This block is not caused by the production of soluble inhibitors and can also be relieved by treatment with other agents that cause macrophage differentiation such as 1, 25 dihydroxycholecalciferol. These findings therefore indicate that the non‐permissivity of undifferentiated U937 cells for HSV is mediated by post‐transcriptional regulation of immediate‐early gene expression.