Enhanced gene silencing in cells cured of persistent virus infection by RNA interference.

Isabelle Pelletier (1) , Aure Saulnier (1) , Cynthia Brisac (1) , Sophie Jegouic (1) , Nicolas Vabret (2) , Frédéric Tangy (2) , Bruno Blondel (1) , Florence Colbère-Garapin (1)

1 BVE - Biologie des virus entériques
2 Génomique Virale et Vaccination

We compared HEp-2-derived cells cured of persistent poliovirus infection by RNA interference (RNAi) with parental cells, to investigate possible changes in the efficiency of RNAi. Lower levels of poliovirus replication were observed in cured cells, possibly facilitating virus silencing by antiviral small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). However, green fluorescent protein (GFP) produced from a measles virus vector and also GFP and luciferase produced from plasmids that do not replicate in human cells were more effectively silenced by specific siRNAs in cured than in control cells. Thus, cells displaying enhanced silencing were selected during curing by RNAi. Our results strongly suggest that the RNAi machinery of cured cells is more efficient than that of parental cells.

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology

Isabelle Pelletier, Aure Saulnier, Cynthia Brisac, Sophie Jegouic, Nicolas Vabret, et al.. Enhanced gene silencing in cells cured of persistent virus infection by RNA interference.. Journal of Virology, 2010, 84 (13), pp.6880-5. ⟨10.1128/JVI.02060-09⟩. ⟨pasteur-00488232⟩