Equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) infection induces alterations in the cytoskeleton of vero cells but not apoptosis.

The researchers investigated how infection with equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) impacts the cytoskeleton of Vero cells, finding that it disrupts the assembly of the cells’ microtubule system but does not induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

Study Methods

• The scientists carried out immunohistochemical investigations on the effects of infection with two different strains of EHV-1 – Piber 178/83 and Kentucky D – on the cytoskeleton of Vero cells.
• The alterations in the cells were evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy, a technique that allows detailed visualization of cells and internal cellular structures.

Key Findings

• 24 hours after EHV-1 infection, the assembly of the Vero cells’ microtubule system was significantly disrupted, which can impact various cellular processes, including cell movement, cell shape, and cell division.
• As evidenced by WGA lectin binding, the Golgi region – an area of the cell involved in packaging proteins for transportation – was dispersed into vesicles that were distributed throughout the cytoplasm.
• Other elements of the cytoskeleton, such as cytokeratin, vimentin, and filamentous actin (F-actin) were not affected by the EHV-1 infection. This indicates that the virus selectively targets certain components of the cellular infrastructure.

Evidence Against Apoptosis

• The researchers used three different testing methods to explore whether apoptosis – a process of programmed cell death – was occurring in the infected Vero cells. This included looking for all possible stages of apoptosis.
• Despite these thorough tests, no characteristic features of apoptosis were found, suggesting that this process is not triggered by EHV-1 infection in these cells.
• The absence of apoptosis points towards necrosis, a form of uncontrolled cell death, as the main mechanism of cell death following EHV-1 infection in Vero cells.