携带CD163报告载体的猪诱导多能干细胞株的建立

猪肺泡巨噬细胞(porcine alveolar macrophage,PAM)是包括猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, PRRSV)在内的多种高致病病毒的受体细胞,是研究病毒与宿主互作机制的重要模型。然而PAM来源有限,难以满足当前需求。利用猪诱导性多能干细胞(induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSCs)向巨噬细胞定向诱导是解决PAM细胞数量不足的有效方法。CD163是PAM细胞的重要标记,也是PRRSV等病毒的主要受体。建立实时报告CD163激活程度的报告系统对于建立并优化猪iPSCs向PAM的诱导分化体系具有指导意义。本研究利用CRISPR/Cas9介导的基因编辑系统,设计靶向CD163终止密码子的sgRNA并构建相应的打靶载体,将其导入到猪PAM中的检测报告系统。进一步将该报告系统导入猪iPSCs中,通过碱性磷酸酶染色、免疫荧光染色和EDU染色等手段来检测其安全性。将猪内源CD163的报告载体系统转染至原代PAM中,检测到了红色荧光的表达,证明了该载体系...     

Susceptible cell lines for the production of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by stable transfection of sialoadhesin and CD163

Background  

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes major economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. In vivo, the virus infects a subpopulation of tissue macrophages. In vitro, PRRSV only replicates in primary pig macrophages and African green monkey kidney derived cells, such as Marc-145. The latter is currently used for vaccine production. However, since virus entry in Marc-145 cells is different compared to entry in primary macrophages, specific epitopes associated with virus entry could potentially alter upon growth on Marc-145 cells. To avoid this, we constructed CHO and PK15 cell lines recombinantly expressing the PRRSV receptors involved in virus entry into macrophages, sialoadhesin (Sn) and CD163 (CHO^Sn-CD163 and PK15^Sn-CD163) and evaluated their potential for production of PRRSV.     

PRRSV受体CD163的原核分段表达

为原核表达猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, PRRSV)受体CD163,本研究根据CD163基因序列(EU016226),通过生物信息学软件Scanprosite预测了CD163结构特征并进行分段。利用DNAstar软件设计合成3对特异引物,从猪肺泡巨噬细胞(porcine alveolar macrophages, PAM)中克隆CD163三个片段,经测序鉴定正确后,分别克隆于原核表达载体pET-28a(+),在IPTG诱导下,进行CD163重组蛋白的截短表达,经Western杂交检测证实表达的三段截短蛋白均具有良好的与抗原反应活性,从而为进一步研究CD163受体在病毒感染过程中的作用以及与其他受体之间的相互作用提供实验依据。     

The polymorphism analysis of CD169 and CD163 related with the risk of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) could infect porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM), and the CD169 and CD163 are identified as critical receptors on the surface of PAM, but whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of these genes could influence the infection is remain unclear. In this study, we identified totally 6 SNPs for CD169 (G1640T, C1654A, C4175T) and CD163 (G2277A, A2552G and C2700A), and evaluated their associations with PRRSV infection using two classified methods in a 524 pig population to investigate the effects of mutations on the PRRSV receptors. The pigs with genotypes of AA of CD169-C1654A, CT of CD169-C4175T and AA of CD163-A2552G appeared to resistant to the PRRSV infection by the combination of two classified results. The results provided fundamental molecular investigation to promote pig breeding with disease resistance. However, the identification of functional changes induced by SNPs and molecular mechanism were need further research.     

Identification of a Putative Receptor for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus on Porcine Alveolar Macrophages

To identify the receptor which may determine the macrophage tropism of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) were produced. Two MAbs (41D3 and 41D5) which completely blocked PRRSV infection of PAM were further characterized. It was found that they reduce the attachment of PRRSV to PAM and immunoprecipitate a 210-kDa membrane protein from PAM. This protein was detected on the cell membranes of PAM but not of PRRSV-nonpermissive cells. A colocalization was found between the reactive sites of MAb 41D3 and PRRSV on PAM membranes. All PRRSV-infected cells in tissues of experimentally infected pigs reacted with MAb 41D3. Taken together, all these data suggest that the identified 210-kDa membrane protein is a putative receptor for PRRSV on porcine macrophages.     

Combining laboratory and mathematical models to infer mechanisms underlying kinetic changes in macrophage susceptibility to an RNA virus

Background

Macrophages are essential to innate immunity against many pathogens, but some pathogens also target macrophages as routes to infection. The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an RNA virus that infects porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) causing devastating impact on global pig production. Identifying the cellular mechanisms that mediate PAM susceptibility to the virus is crucial for developing effective interventions. Previous evidence suggests that the scavenger receptor CD163 is essential for productive infection of PAMs with PRRSV. Here we use an integrative in-vitro–in-silico modelling approach to determine whether and how PAM susceptibility to PRRSV changes over time, to assess the role of CD163 expression on such changes, and to infer other potential causative mechanisms altering cell susceptibility.

Results

Our in-vitro experiment showed that PAM susceptibility to PRRSV changed considerably over incubation time. Moreover, an increasing proportion of PAMs apparently lacking CD163 were found susceptible to PRRSV at the later incubation stages, thus conflicting with current understanding that CD163 is essential for productive infection of PAMs with PRRSV. We developed process based dynamic mathematical models and fitted these to the data to assess alternative hypotheses regarding potential underlying mechanisms for the observed susceptibility and biomarker trends. The models informed by our data support the hypothesis that although CD163 may have enhanced cell susceptibility, it was not essential for productive infection in our study. Instead the models promote the existence of a reversible cellular state, such as macrophage polarization, mediated in a density dependent manner by autocrine factors, to be responsible for the observed kinetics in cell susceptibility.

Conclusions

Our dynamic model–inference approach provides strong support that PAM susceptibility to the PRRS virus is transient, reversible and can be mediated by compounds produced by the target cells themselves, and that these can render PAMs lacking the CD163 receptor susceptible to PRRSV. The results have implications for the development of therapeutics aiming to boost target cell resistance and prompt future investigation of dynamic changes in macrophage susceptibility to PRRSV and other viruses.

     

重组猪肺表面活性蛋白A在体外可抑制PRRSV感染宿主细胞

【目的】研究重组猪肺表面活性蛋白A(SP-A)在体外对猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)感染的抑制作用。【方法】采用PCR方法从含有猪SP-A基因的质粒中扩增SP-A基因,并将其插入到含有人CD5信号肽序列的真核表达载体pcDNA3.1A-CD5中,构建成SP-A基因的真核分泌型表达载体pcDNA-CD5-SPA/MH。将重组表达载体通过磷酸钙介导转染HEK293T细胞进行瞬时表达,通过Western blot方法鉴定表达产物,采用Ni-NTA琼脂糖凝胶亲和层析法从培养基中分离和纯化重组SP-A蛋白,通过ELISA方法检测SP-A蛋白与PRRSV的结合活性。将SP-A蛋白与PRRSV孵育,然后感染MARC-145细胞和猪肺泡巨噬细胞,感染72 h后测定病毒滴度,分析重组SP-A蛋白对PRRSV感染的抑制作用。【结果】结果表明构建的真核表达载体能够介导SP-A基因在HEK293T细胞中进行分泌表达;表达的重组猪SP-A蛋白能够与PRRSV进行剂量依赖性结合;用重组猪SP-A蛋白与PRRSV进行孵育,然后感染MARC-145细胞和猪肺泡巨噬细胞,结果显示SP-A处理的PRRSV感染细胞后的病变程度明显低于对照组。感染72 h后,SP-A处理组的PRRSV在MARC-145细胞和猪肺泡巨噬细胞的滴度明显低于SP-A非处理组。【结论】重组猪SP-A在体外对PRRSV的感染有明显的抑制作用,揭示SP-A具有抗PRRSV的活性。     

3′非翻译区靶向人工微小RNA对PRRSV在猪肺巨噬细胞中复制的抑制作用（英文）北大核心CSCD

【目的】研究重组腺病毒(rAd)传送的3′非翻译区(UTR)靶向amiR3UTR对猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)在猪肺巨噬细胞(PAM)中复制的抑制作用。【方法】用表达amiR3UTR或对照amiRcon的腺病毒载体转染AAV-293细胞,获得rAd-amiR3UTR-GFP和rAd-amiRcon-GFP,用定量RT-PCR检测amiR3UTR在rAd转导细胞中的表达,用定量RT-PCR、Western blotting和病毒滴定检测amiR3UTR对PRRSV复制的抑制作用。【结果】原代PAM及其细胞系3D4/163均能被rAd-amiR3UTR-GFP转导,但前者转导效率很低;rAd-amiR3UTR-GFP转导细胞能有效表达amiR3UTR,且表达具有剂量和时间依赖性;rAd表达的amiR3UTR能显著抑制不同毒株PRRSV在PAM细胞中的复制,且抑制作用具有剂量依赖性。【结论】amiR3UTR能抑制不同毒株PRRSV在PAM中的复制,其rAd有望作为抗PRRSV新策略进行深入研究。     

Involvement of the matrix protein in attachment of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus to a heparinlike receptor on porcine alveolar macrophages

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has a very restricted tropism for well-differentiated cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage, which is probably determined by specific receptors on these cells. In this study, the importance of heparinlike molecules on porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) for PRRSV infection was determined. Heparin interacted with the virus and reduced infection of PAM up to 92 or 88% for the American and European types of PRRSV, respectively. Other glycosaminoglycans, similar to heparin, had no significant effect on infection while heparinase treatment of PAM resulted in a significant reduction of the infection. Analysis of infection kinetics showed that PRRSV attachment to heparan sulfate occurs early in infection. A heparin-sensitive binding step was observed which converted completely into a heparin-resistant binding after 120 min at 4 degrees C. Using heparin-affinity chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), it was observed that the structural matrix (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins attached to heparin. Nonreducing SDS-PAGE revealed that M bound to heparin mainly as a complex with glycoprotein GP(5) and that the N protein bound to heparin as a homodimer. GP(3), which was identified as a minor structural protein of European types of PRRSV, did not bind to heparin. Since the N protein is not exposed on the virion surface, it was concluded that the structural M protein and the M-GP(5) complex contribute to PRRSV attachment on a heparinlike receptor on PAM. This is the first report that identifies a PRRSV ligand for a cell surface heparinlike receptor on PAM.     

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Possesses an Antiviral Activity against Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

Pigs are often colonized by more than one bacterial and/or viral species during respiratory tract infections. This phenomenon is known as the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are pathogens that are frequently involved in PRDC. The main objective of this project was to study the in vitro interactions between these two pathogens and the host cells in the context of mixed infections. To fulfill this objective, PRRSV permissive cell lines such as MARC-145, SJPL, and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) were used. A pre-infection with PRRSV was performed at 0.5 multiplicity of infection (MOI) followed by an infection with App at 10 MOI. Bacterial adherence and cell death were compared. Results showed that PRRSV pre-infection did not affect bacterial adherence to the cells. PRRSV and App co-infection produced an additive cytotoxicity effect. Interestingly, a pre-infection of SJPL and PAM cells with App blocked completely PRRSV infection. Incubation of SJPL and PAM cells with an App cell-free culture supernatant is also sufficient to significantly block PRRSV infection. This antiviral activity is not due to LPS but rather by small molecular weight, heat-resistant App metabolites (<1 kDa). The antiviral activity was also observed in SJPL cells infected with swine influenza virus but to a much lower extent compared to PRRSV. More importantly, the PRRSV antiviral activity of App was also seen with PAM, the cells targeted by the virus in vivo during infection in pigs. The antiviral activity might be due, at least in part, to the production of interferon γ. The use of in vitro experimental models to study viral and bacterial co-infections will lead to a better understanding of the interactions between pathogens and their host cells, and could allow the development of novel prophylactic and therapeutic tools.     

Role of lipid rafts in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection in MARC-145 cells

Lipid rafts play an important role in the life cycle of many viruses. Cholesterol is a critical structural component of lipid rafts. Although the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has restricted cell tropism for cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage, a non-macrophage cell MARC-145 was susceptible to PRRSV because of the expression of virus receptor CD163 on the cell surface, therefore MARC-145 cells is used as model cell for PRRSV studies. In order to determine if cholesterol is involved in PRRSV infection in MARC-145 cells, we used three pharmacological agents: methyl-β cyclodextrin (MβCD), mevinolin, and filipin complex to deplete cholesterol in MARC-145. Although these agents act by different mechanisms, they all significantly inhibited PRRSV infection. The inhibition could be prevented by addition of exogenous cholesterol. Cell membrane cholesterol depletion after virus infection had no effect on PRRSV production and cholesterol depletion pre-infection did not reduce the virus attachment, suggesting cholesterol is involved in virus entry. Further results showed that cholesterol depletion did not change expression levels of the PRRSV receptor CD163 in MARC-145, had no effect on clathrin-mediated endocytosis, but disturbed lipid-raft-dependent endocytosis. Collectively, these studies suggest that cholesterol is critical for PRRSV entry, which is likely to be mediated by a lipid-raft-dependent pathway.     

Involvement of sialoadhesin in entry of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus into porcine alveolar macrophages

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) shows a very restricted tropism for cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. It enters cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. A monoclonal antibody (MAb) that is able to block PRRSV infection of porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) and that recognizes a 210-kDa protein (p210) was described previously (MAb41D3) (X. Duan, H. Nauwynck, H. Favoreel, and M. Pensaert, J. Virol. 72:4520-4523, 1998). In the present study, the p210 protein was purified from PAM by immunoaffinity using MAb41D3 and was subjected to internal peptide sequencing after tryptic digestion. Amino acid sequence identities ranging from 56 to 91% with mouse sialoadhesin, a macrophage-restricted receptor, were obtained with four p210 peptides. Using these peptide data, the full p210 cDNA sequence (5,193 bp) was subsequently determined. It shared 69 and 78% amino acid identity, respectively, with mouse and human sialoadhesins. Swine (PK-15) cells resistant to viral entry were transfected with the cloned p210 cDNA and inoculated with European or American PRRSV strains. Internalized virus particles were detected only in PK-15 cells expressing the recombinant sialoadhesin, demonstrating that this glycoprotein mediated uptake of both types of strains. However, nucleocapsid disintegration, like that observed in infected Marc-145 cells as a result of virus uncoating after fusion of the virus with the endocytic vesicle membrane, was not observed, suggesting a block in the fusion process. The ability of porcine sialoadhesin to mediate endocytosis was demonstrated by specific internalization of MAb41D3 into PAM. Altogether, these results show that sialoadhesin is involved in the entry process of PRRSV in PAM.     

MicroRNA 181 Suppresses Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Infection by Targeting PRRSV Receptor CD163

We previously showed that microRNA 181 (miR-181) can inhibit PRRSV replication by directly targeting its genomic RNA. Here, we report that miR-181 can downregulate the PRRSV receptor CD163 in blood monocytes and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) through targeting the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of CD163 mRNA. Downregulation of CD163 leads to the inhibition of PRRSV entry into PAMs and subsequently suppresses PRRSV infection. Our findings indicate that delivery of miR-181 can be used as antiviral therapy against PRRSV infection.     

Porcine arterivirus infection of alveolar macrophages is mediated by sialic acid on the virus

Recently, we showed that porcine sialoadhesin (pSn) mediates internalization of the arterivirus porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in alveolar macrophages (Vanderheijden et al., J. Virol. 77:8207-8215, 2003). In rodents and humans, sialoadhesin, or Siglec-1, has been described as a macrophage-restricted molecule and to specifically bind sialic acid moieties. In the current study, we investigated whether pSn is a sialic acid binding protein and, whether so, whether this property is important for its function as a PRRSV receptor. Using untreated and neuraminidase-treated sheep erythrocytes, we showed that pSn binds sialic acid. Furthermore, pSn-specific monoclonal antibody 41D3, which blocks PRRSV infection, inhibited this interaction. PRRSV attachment to and infection of porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) were both shown to be dependent on the presence of sialic acid on the virus: neuraminidase treatment of virus but not of PAM blocked infection and reduced attachment. Enzymatic removal of all N-linked glycans on the virus with N-glycosidase F reduced PRRSV infection, while exclusive removal of nonsialylated N-linked glycans of the high-mannose type with endoglycosidase H had no significant effect. Free sialyllactose and sialic acid containing (neo)glycoproteins reduced infection, while lactose and (neo)glycoproteins devoid of sialic acids had no significant effect. Studies with linkage-specific neuraminidases and lectins indicated that alpha2-3- and alpha2-6-linked sialic acids on the virion are important for PRRSV infection of PAM. From these results, we conclude that pSn is a sialic acid binding lectin and that interactions between sialic acid on the PRRS virion and pSn are essential for PRRSV infection of PAM.     

In vitro infection of primary and retrovirus-infected human leukocytes by human foamy virus.

The infectivity of human foamy virus (HFV) was examined in primary and cultured human leukocytes. Cell-free infectious viral stocks of HFV were prepared from the human kidney cell line 293 transfected with an infectious molecular clone of HFV. HFV productively infects a variety of human myeloid and lymphoid cell lines. In addition, primary cell cultures enriched for human CD4+, monocytes and brain-derived microglial cells, were readily infected by HFV. Interestingly, while infected primary CD4+ lymphocytes and microglial cells showed marked cytopathology characteristic of foamy virus, HFV-infected monocyte-derived macrophages failed to show any cytopathology. In addition, marked cytotoxicity due to HFV infection was seen in both human T-cell leukemia virus type 1- and human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected T-cell lines and in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected monocytoid cell lines. Thus, HFV infection produces differential cytopathology in a wide host range of primary human leukocytes and hematopoietic cell lines.     

The level of CD4 expression limits infection of primary rhesus monkey macrophages by a T-tropic simian immunodeficiency virus and macrophagetropic human immunodeficiency viruses

The entry of primate immunodeficiency viruses into cells is dependent on the interaction of the viral envelope glycoproteins with receptors, CD4, and specific members of the chemokine receptor family. Although in many cases the tropism of these viruses is explained by the qualitative pattern of coreceptor expression, several instances have been observed where the expression of a coreceptor on the cell surface is not sufficient to allow infection by a virus that successfully utilizes the coreceptor in a different context. For example, both the T-tropic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) SIVmac239 and the macrophagetropic (M-tropic) SIVmac316 can utilize CD4 and CCR5 as coreceptors, and both viruses can infect primary T lymphocytes, yet only SIVmac316 can efficiently infect CCR5-expressing primary macrophages from rhesus monkeys. Likewise, M-tropic strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) do not infect primary rhesus monkey macrophages efficiently. Here we show that the basis of this restriction is the low level of CD4 on the surface of these cells. Overexpression of human or rhesus monkey CD4 in primary rhesus monkey macrophages allowed infection by both T-tropic and M-tropic SIV and by primary M-tropic HIV-1. By contrast, CCR5 overexpression did not specifically compensate for the inefficient infection of primary monkey macrophages by T-tropic SIV or M-tropic HIV-1. Apparently, the limited ability of these viruses to utilize a low density of CD4 for target cell entry accounts for the restriction of these viruses in primary rhesus monkey macrophages.     

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus induces interleukin-15 through the NF-κB signaling pathway

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) mainly infects macrophages/dendritic cells and modulates cytokine expression in these cells. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in wide range of biological activities. It has been shown to be essential for the generation, activation, and proliferation of NK and NKT cells and for the survival and activation of CD8(+) effector and memory T cells. In this study, we discovered that PRRSV infection upregulated IL-15 production at both the mRNA and protein levels in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), blood monocyte-derived macrophages (BMo), and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). We subsequently demonstrated that the NF-κB signaling pathway was essential for PRRSV infection-induced IL-15 production. First, addition of an NF-κB inhibitor drastically reduced PRRSV infection-induced IL-15 production. We then found that NF-κB was indeed activated upon PRRSV infection, as evidenced by IκB phosphorylation and degradation. Moreover, we revealed an NF-κB binding motif in the cloned porcine IL-15 (pIL-15) promoter, deletion of which abrogated the pIL-15 promoter activity in PRRSV-infected alveolar macrophages. In addition, we demonstrated that PRRSV nucleocapsid (N) protein had the ability to induce IL-15 production in porcine alveolar macrophage cell line CRL2843 by transient transfection, which was mediated by its multiple motifs, and it also activated NF-κB. These data indicated that PRRSV infection-induced IL-15 production was likely through PRRSV N protein-mediated NF-κB activation. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underling the IL-15 production induced by PRRSV infection.     

Exogenous ACE2 expression allows refractory cell lines to support severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus replication

Of 30 cell lines and primary cells examined, productive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (Urbani strain) (SARS-CoV) infection after low-multiplicity inoculation was detected in only six: three African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines (Vero, Vero E6, and MA104), a human colon epithelial line (CaCo-2), a porcine kidney epithelial line [PK(15)], and mink lung epithelial cells (Mv 1 Lu). SARS-CoV produced a lytic infection in Vero, Vero E6, and MA104 cells, but there was no visible cytopathic effect in Caco-2, Mv 1 Lu, or PK(15) cells. Multistep growth kinetics were identical in Vero E6 and MA104 cells, with maximum titer reached 24 h postinoculation (hpi). Virus titer was maximal 96 hpi in CaCo-2 cells, and virus was continually produced from infected CaCo-2 cells for at least 6 weeks after infection. CaCo-2 was the only human cell type of 13 tested that supported efficient SARS-CoV replication. Expression of the SARS-CoV receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), resulted in SARS-CoV replication in all refractory cell lines examined. Titers achieved were variable and dependent upon the method of ACE2 expression.     

Growth of Murine Cytomegalovirus in Various Cell Lines

Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) was capable of infecting and replicating in both primary and continuous cell lines obtained from various species. In African green monkey kidney (BSC-1) cells, primary rabbit kidney cells, and baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells, there were cytopathic effects (CPE) and virus replication upon initial exposure of cells to virus. In primary fetal sheep brain (FSB) cells, L cells, and rabbit kidney (RK-13) cells, it was necessary to subculture the infected cells one or more times before appearance of CPE and replication of virus. In the case of the infected FSB cultures, it was found that the virus effect could be induced if subculturing were accomplished by trypsinization but did not occur if cells were subcultured by scraping. FSB-grown virus replicated better in FSB than in mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) cells. The CPE produced in all of the above cell lines was similar to that observed in MEF infected with MCMV. The virus grown in different cell lines was completely neutralized when mixed with several reference sera prepared in rabbits or mice. The populations of virions released from infected MEF and FSB cells were compared by isopycnic centrifugation in potassium tartrate, and no differences were revealed in the buoyant densities of the populations. Human embryonic brain cells, human embryonic kidney cells, a human lung fibroblast cell strain (WI-38), HeLa, and Hep-2 were not susceptible to MCMV.