[Clone cells obtained from continuous cultures and differing in their sensitivity to tick-borne encephalitis viruses]

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Immunology

Context:

• Continuous cell lines like HEp-2 and SPEV are crucial for studying viral infections.
• Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) poses a significant public health concern.
• Understanding cellular responses to TBEV is vital for developing effective countermeasures.

Purpose:

• To clone and characterize HEp-2 and SPEV cell lines for TBEV sensitivity.
• To determine the heterogeneity of TBEV replication and antigen synthesis in derived clones.
• To assess the susceptibility of chronically infected cell lines to TBEV.

Summary:

• Cloning of HEp-2 and SPEV cell lines demonstrated heterologous sensitivity to TBEV.
• HEp-2 clones showed varied virus reproduction (30/47 supported it), with antigen synthesis not exceeding 35% of cells.
• All 29 SPEV clones supported virus reproduction, but grouped into two distinct antigen synthesis dynamics.
• 13/15 clones from chronically infected HEp-2-Soph cells exhibited infectious virus and antigen synthesis, suggesting widespread infection in the parental line.

Impact:

• Identifies distinct cellular clones with differential TBEV susceptibility for further research.
• Provides insights into the heterogeneity of viral replication within cell populations.
• Highlights the potential for using chronically infected cell lines to study persistent viral infections.