Interactions of Human Cytomegalovirus with Human Fibroblasts

Abstract

Virus attachment of human cytomegalovirus to human embryo lung fibroblasts was found to be temperature-independent, from 4 to 37 C. Prolonged incubation at 4 C, however, resulted in inactivation of a high proportion of attached virus. Virus penetration seemed to be temperature-dependent occurring at 37 C, but not at 4 C. Detailed studies of the growth curve of the virus were made. Cell-associated virus preceded the appearance of virus in the fluid phase by 2 to 5 days. Complement-fixing antigen could be detected, but only when the cytopathic effect was advanced, and it was demonstrable only in the cell-associated fraction. Under methyl cellulose, decreasing the bicarbonate concentration in the overlay from 0.225 to 0.15% resulted in marked increase in plating efficiency with all strains tested. However, varying the concentration of bicarbonate from 0.3 to 0.15% in fluid medium did not influence the growth of virus.