Identification of gene expression profiles in HeLa cells and HepG2 cells infected with Coxsackievirus B3

Viral infections of host cells cause multiple changes of cellular metabolism including immediate defense mechanisms as well as processes to support viral replication. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a member of the Picornavirus family and is responsible for a wide variety of mild or severe infections including acute and chronic inflammations. Thereby, intracellular signaling can be changed very comprehensively. In order to compare the influence of CVB3 replication on gene expression pattern of two different cell lines, DNA microarray systems were used to study a set of 780 genes related to inflammation. Expression analysis of HeLa cells and HepG2 cells infected with CVB3 identified 34 genes whose mRNA levels were altered significantly upon infection. The expression of additional 16 genes in HepG2 cells and 31 genes in HeLa cells were found to be influenced during CVB3 replication as well. All genes expressed differentially were sorted with regard to their functions and interpreted in view of known contributors to the infection process. The activation of the tumor necrosis factor pathways by CVB3 represents one peculiar observation, including apoptosis, stress, and inflammation responses.