Immortalized goat milk epithelial cell lines replicate CAEV at high level.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Cell Biology
• Lentivirus Research

Background:

• Primary goat mammary epithelial cells are crucial for understanding milk production and disease.
• Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) poses a significant threat to small ruminant health and dairy industries.
• Establishing robust cell models is essential for studying lentivirus-host interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and characterize immortalized goat mammary epithelial cell lines.
• To evaluate the susceptibility of these cell lines to CAEV infection.
• To provide a model for investigating CAEV pathogenesis and its effects on milk quality.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and immortalization of primary goat mammary epithelial cells using SV40 large T antigen.
• Characterization of cell morphology and expression of epithelial markers.
• Infection of cell lines with CAEV isolates and assessment of viral replication and cytopathic effects.

Main Results:

• Three immortalized cell lines (TIGMEC-1, TIGMEC-2, TIGMEC-3) were successfully established, retaining epithelial characteristics.
• Cell lines exhibited a doubling time of 24-48 hours and resisted senescence.
• TIGMEC cell lines were highly susceptible to CAEV, supporting chronic infection with high virus titers and no cytopathic effects.

Conclusions:

• The developed TIGMEC cell lines provide a valuable in vitro model for studying CAEV infection in mammary epithelial cells.
• These cell lines can facilitate research into the physiological alterations, virus transmission, and pathogenesis associated with small ruminant lentiviruses.
• The model is instrumental for exploring the impact of CAEV on milk quality.