Open AccessEnterovirus 71 infection of motor neuron-like NSC-34 cells undergoes a non-lytic exit pathway
Author(s) -
Issac Horng Khit Too,
Huimin Yeo,
October M. Sessions,
Benedict Yan,
Eshele Anak Libau,
J. Howe,
Ze Qin Lim,
Suku-Maran Shalini,
WeiYi Ong,
Kaw Bing Chua,
Boon Seng Wong,
Vincent T. K. Chow,
Sylvie Alonso
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep36983
Subject(s) - lytic cycle , enterovirus 71 , biology , vacuole , cytopathic effect , virus , virology , cell culture , autophagy , picornavirus , neurotropic virus , viral replication , motor neuron , enterovirus , microbiology and biotechnology , apoptosis , neuroscience , genetics , gene , rna , cytoplasm , spinal cord
Enterovirus 71 (EV71) causing Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, is regarded as the most important neurotropic virus worldwide. EV71 is believed to replicate in muscles and infect motor neurons to reach the central nervous system (CNS). To further investigate the mechanisms involved, we have employed the motor neuron cell line NSC-34. NSC-34 cells were permissive to EV71 and virus production yields were strain-dependent with differential efficacy at the entry, replication and egress steps. Furthermore, unlike all the other cell lines previously reported, EV71-infected NSC-34 cells neither displayed cytopathic effect nor underwent apoptosis. Instead, autophagy was markedly up-regulated and virus-containing autophagic vacuoles were isolated from the culture supernatant, providing the first experimental evidence that EV71 can adopt a non-lytic exit pathway. Finally, the ability of EV71 to infect productively NSC-34 cells correlated with its ability to invade the CNS in vivo , supporting the relevance of NSC-34 cells to study the intrinsic neurovirulence of EV71 strains.