Characterization of Sf9 cell clones with differential susceptibilities to Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7 and Sf-rhabdovirus X− replication

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 594; p. 110038
• Main Authors: Ma, Hailun, Kennard, Andrea, Mattson, Nicholas, Khan, Arifa S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Line; Clone Cells; Differential gene expression; Rhabdoviridae - genetics; Rhabdoviridae - metabolism; Sf-rhabdovirus negative cell clone; Sf-rhabdovirus replication; Sf-rhabdovirus X; Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7; Sf9 cell line; Sf9 Cells; Spodoptera; Spodoptera frugiperda; TCID50; Viral genome copy number; Viruses; Sf-rhabdovirus replication; Sf9 cell line; Differential gene expression; Viral genome copy number; Spodoptera frugiperda; TCID50; Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7; Sf-rhabdovirus X; Sf-rhabdovirus negative cell clone; Sf-rhabdovirus X(+3.7); TCID; Sf-rhabdovirus X(−)
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110038

Our laboratory previously discovered a novel rhabdovirus in the Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 insect cell line that was designated as Sf-rhabdovirus. Using limiting dilution, this cell line was found to be a mixed population of cells infected by Sf-rhabdovirus variants containing either the full length X accessory gene with a 3.7 kb internal duplication (designated as Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7) or lacking the duplication and part of the X gene (designated as Sf-rhabdovirus X−), and cells that were negative for Sf-rhabdovirus. In this paper, we found that the Sf-rhabdovirus negative cell clones had sub-populations with different susceptibilities to the replication of Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7 and X− variants: cell clone Sf9-13F12 was more sensitive to replication by both virus variants compared to Sf9-3003; moreover, Sf9-3003 showed more resistance to X+3.7 replication than to X− replication. RNA-Seq analysis indicated significant differentially expressed genes in the Sf9-13F12 and Sf9-3003 cell clones further supporting that distinct sub-populations of virus-negative cells co-exist in the parent Sf9 cell line. •Sf-rhabdovirus negative cell sub-clones had different susceptibilities for replication of Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7 and X− variants.•Sf9-13F12 clone can be used for the development of a sensitive assay for detection of Sf-rhabdovirus X+3.7 and X− variants.•Sf9-3003 clone had more resistance to Sf9-rhabdovirus infection and could be a useful reagent in research and development.