Measles-virus-persistent infection in BGM cells. Modification of the incorporation of [3H]arachidonic acid and [14C]stearic acid into lipids.

In BGM cells chronically infected with measles virus, although the composition of the phospholipids is unaltered, the fatty acid composition is modified. Uninfected, lytic and persistently infected cells were labelled with [3H]arachidonic acid and [14C]stearic acid and their metabolic fate analysed. No difference in the total incorporation was observed in the different systems. However, the [14C]stearic acid and [3H]arachidonic acid were incorporated up to 2-fold and 13-fold respectively greater into the neutral lipid of persistently infected compared with that of uninfected cells. Both radioactive fatty acids were specifically accumulated in the triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acids fractions. Lytically infected cells were similar to uninfected cells. Although there was no significant difference in the incorporation of radioactivity into the total phospholipid in either system, there was a large decrease in [3H]arachidonic acid incorporated into phosphatidylethanolamine and to a lesser extent phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol in persistently infected cells. [14C]Stearic acid incorporation was also reduced in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine fractions of persistently infected cells.