DNA synthesis in mouse embryo fibroblast cells infected with murine cytomegalovirus.

The overall rate of DNA synthesis in mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) cells infected with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) decreased immediately after infection, reaching its minimum at 10–12 hr postinfection (PI), and then increased gradually. CsCl equilibrium centrifugation analysis of synthesis of both host and viral DNA in MEF cells infected with MCMV revealed the following: (1) Host cell DNA synthesis was inhibited by more than 95% by 10–12 hr PI. (2) Viral DNA synthesis began at 10–12 hr PI, and by 22–24 hr PI the rate was slightly higher than the rate of host cell DNA synthesis observed at 0–2 hr PI. (3) Viral DNA synthesis occurred without the concurrent synthesis of any significant amount of host cell DNA, indicating that there was preferential viral DNA synthesis. The inhibition of host DNA synthesis occurred when cells were infected with either uv- or heat-inactivated MCMV. This occurred in the absence of both cytopathic effects (CPE) and the synthesis of viral-induced proteins. In these instances, the suppression of host DNA synthesis was observed only during the first 12 hr PI. At 12–14 hr PI, host DNA synthesis began to increase, and finally reached or surpassed the level seen in mock-infected cells. Since the suppression of the host DNA synthesis occurred in the absence of viral-induced protein synthesis, the possibility that the suppression is caused by one or more of the structural proteins of the infecting viral particles is discussed.