Fibroblasts are a site of murine cytomegalovirus lytic replication and Stat1-dependent latent persistence in vivo.

ABSTRACT: To date, no herpesvirus has been shown to latently persist in fibroblastic cells. Here, we show that murine cytomegalovirus, a β-herpesvirus, persists for the long term and across organs in PDGFRα-positive fibroblastic cells, with similar or higher genome loads than in the previously known sites of murine cytomegalovirus latency. Whereas murine cytomegalovirus gene transcription in PDGFRα-positive fibroblastic cells is almost completely silenced at 5 months post-infection, these cells give rise to reactivated virus ex vivo, arguing that they support latent murine cytomegalovirus infection. Notably, PDGFRα-positive fibroblastic cells also support productive virus replication during primary murine cytomegalovirus infection. Mechanistically, Stat1-deficiency promotes lytic infection but aboli

SUBMITTER: Sitnik KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10227055 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature