Human fetal Schwann cells support JC virus multiplication

The human papovavirus JC virus (JCV), the etiologic agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, displays a narrow host range for growth, preferentially infecting oligodendrocytes, the myelin-producing cells of the central nervous system. In tissue culture, human fetal brain cells have been used for JCV propagation because of their ability to support JCV virion production. In this study, we evidence that a human fetal cell type derived from the peripheral nervous system can be productively infected with JCV. Schwann cells, the cell type responsible for myelination in the peripheral nervous system, support the expression of JCV T antigen and JCV DNA replication. However, viral proteins and DNA replication were not detected either in dorsal root ganglion neurons or fibroblasts. These results extend the host range of JCV to include another cell of the glial lineage whose function is myelin formation.