Relationship between virus multiplication and culture cells synchronized by excess thymidine treatment. V. Effect of chikungunya virus infection upon the host cell cycle.

The cell cycle of FL cells infected with chikungunya virus was examined using cultures synchronized with excess thymidine. Viral growth at the cellular level was demonstrated by the presence of viral antigen and viral RNA synthesis. It was found that cells which had been infected with virus before the S phase, could enter the S phase. Furthermore,, cells infected in the phase before the M phase could enter the M phase. However, infected cells showed abrupt karyorrhexis after a certain period of infection. This contrasts with studies on pox virus-infected cells, where the cell cycle dose not proceed once viral-DNA synthesis is initiated at any phase of the cell cycle.