Reversed Polarity in Transmembrane Potentials of Cells Infected with Herpesviruses

Abstract

Summary

Transmembrane potentials were recorded by electrophysiological techniques in HEp-2 tissue culture cells after infection with herpes simplex virus types 1 or 2, measles virus, Coxsackievirus B₅, or adenovirus type 2, and in human fibroblast cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 or type 2 or with cytomegalovirus. Non-infected HEp-2 or fibroblast cells displayed negative polarity; whereas cells infected with types 1 or 2 herpes simplex viruses, cytomegalovirus, or measles virus displayed a shift to positive polarity. HEp-2 cells infected with Coxsackievirus B₅ or adenovirus type 2 retained their internal negativity. These results suggest that further application of similar electrophysiological techniques might prove useful in the study of cell membrane changes induced by enveloped or oncogenic viruses.

This investigation was supported in part by Grant 2879 from National Institute of Dental Research and by Grant T-521 from the American Cancer Society. We thank Antoinette Duffey and Julius Riggs for competent technical assistance and Drs. R. Rustigian, P. Feorino, W. Dowdle and J. Stewart for providing the measles, Coxsackie, adeno-and cytomegaloviruses used in these studies.