Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 establishes a latent infection in mouse B lymphocytes in vivo

Abstract

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) is able to persist in spleen cells of infected mice. To determine the cell type harbouring persistent virus, spleen cells from infected animals were separated into immunoglo- bulin (Ig)-positive (B cell-enriched), Ig-negative (T cell- enriched) and plastic-adherent (macrophage-enriched) fractions. These cells were co-cultivated with permis-