Cell cycle dependency of murine cytomegalovirus replication in synchronized 3T3 cells.

Synchronized murine 3T3 cells have been used to investigate the possible dependency of murine cytomegalovirus replication upon the cell cycle. The normal latent period of 12 h characteristic of asynchronous 3T3 cells was protracted to more than 24 h after an early G1 infection in synchronous cells. In this case viral progeny were not detected until after the initiation of the host S-phase. Cells maintained in the G1 phase did not replicate virus. This failure could not be explained by a decrease in virus penetration but was apparently due to a requirement for an event associated with the host S-phase. Thymidine-induced inhibition of cell cycle traverse also blocked virus replication. Viral DNA synthesis did not initiate until after the initiation of host DNA. In contrast, herpes simplex virus type 1 replicated in 3T3 cells independently of the cell cycle.