Latent infection of human ovarian teratocarcinoma cells with human cytomegalovirus. Brief report.

Persistent infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be established in cultures of human ovarian teratocarcinoma (PA1) cells, and maintained for more than 200 days. Infected cultures maintained at 34 degrees C (PA1CMV34) and 37 degrees C (PA1CMV37) entered crisis and subsequently displayed massive cytopathic effects (CPE), whereas infected cultures maintained at 32 degrees C (PA1CMV32) and 39 degrees C (PA1CMV39) continued to release small amounts of infectious virus until 240 or 151 days post-infection (p.i.) respectively. PA1CMV32 cultures shifted to 37 degrees C at 258 days p.i. resumed synthesis of infectious virus which resulted in cell destruction, indicating that latent infection with HCMV was maintained in PA1 cells at 32 degrees C. In contrast, PA1CMV39 cells did not produce infectious virus even when cultured at 37 degrees C for more than 100 days after the temperature shift.