A highly cytopathogenic influenza C virus variant induces apoptosis in cell culture

The Journal of General Virology
A HechtfischerH Meier-Ewert

Abstract

An influenza C virus variant, C/AA-cyt, was identified as the agent responsible for highly effective induction of cytopathogenicity in MDCK cells. The cytopathogenic effect was manifested by cell rounding, cell shrinkage and foci of cell destruction leading finally to disruption of the monolayer in a virus dose-dependent manner. Virus-induced cytopathogenicity was suppressed by temperatures nonpermissive for virus replication. Maintenance of plasma membrane integrity post-infection, in connection with induction of a DNA fragmentation ladder, revealed the characteristic picture of apoptosis. In support of this, quantitative analysis demonstrated high levels of apoptosis-like oligonucleosomal DNA. The results indicate that influenza C viruses can induce programmed cell death, as formerly reported for influenza type A and B viruses.

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Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis