Clonal Immortalized Human Glial Cell Lines Support Varying Levels of JC Virus Infection due to Differences in Cellular Gene Expression

JC virus (JCV) is a ubiquitous human polyomavirus that causes the demyelinating disease Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV replicates in limited cell types in culture, predominantly in human glial cells. Thus, productive JCV infection is an indicator of the host cell transcription environment. Following introduction of a replication defective SV40 mutant that expressed large T protein into a heterogeneous culture of human fetal brain cells, multiple phenotypes became immortalized (SVG cells). A subset of SVG cells could support JCV replication. This mixed culture was called SVG cells. In the current study, clonal cell lines were selected from the original SVG cell culture. The SVG-5F4 clone showed low levels of viral growth. The SVG-10B1 clone was highly permissive for JCV DNA replication and gene expression. Microarray analysis revealed that viral infection did not significantly change gene expression in these cells. More resistant 5F4 cells expressed high levels of transcription factors known to inhibit JCV transcription. Interestingly, 5F4 cells highly expressed RNA of markers of Bergman or radial glia and 10B1 cells had high expression of markers of immature glial cells and activation of transcription regulators important for stem/progenitor cell self-renewal. These SVG-derived clonal cell lines provide a biologically relevant model to investigate cell type differences in JCV host range and pathogenesis, as well as neural development.

13

Ferenczy MW, Johnson KR, Steinberg SM, Marshall LJ, Monaco MC, Beschloss AM, Jensen PN, Major EO