Mitochondria-Targeted Apoptosis in Human Cytomegalovirus-Infected Cells

• Published in: Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 23; no. 11; pp. 1627 - 1635
• Main Authors: Lee, G.C., K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, Lee, J.H., Kwandong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Kim, B.Y., Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea, Lee, C.H., Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Korean Society for Applied Microbiology 01.11.2013; 한국미생물·생명공학회
• Subjects: APOPTOSE; APOPTOSIS; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Blotting, Western; caspase; Caspase 8 - analysis; Cells, Cultured; Cytochromes c - analysis; Cytomegalovirus - physiology; Cytoplasm - chemistry; Fibroblasts - physiology; Fibroblasts - virology; Flow Cytometry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HERPESVIRIDAE; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; MITOCHONDRIA; Mitochondria - metabolism; Mitochondria - physiology; MITOCHONDRIE; MITOCONDRIA; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; 생물학; Targeting; Enzyme; Herpesviridae; Caspase; Betaherpesvirinae; Human cytomegalovirus; Infection; Virus; Peptidases; Target; Mitochondria; cytomegalovirus; Viral disease; Hydrolases; Infected cell; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 1017-7825; 1738-8872
• DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1306.06023

Mitochondria often play central roles in apoptotic pathways, and disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) has been observed in various cells undergoing apoptosis. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection induces apoptosis in permissive cells; however, investigations of mitochondria-targeted apoptosis in HCMV-infected human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells have been limited. Here, we investigated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in HCMV-infected HFF cells. Flow cytometry analysis using JC-1 revealed that HCMV infection induces disruption of ΔΨm in HFF cells when administered 24 h postinfection (hpi), and this disruption was maximized at 48 hpi. Moreover, cytochrome c, normally a mitochondrial inner membrane protein, was detected in cytoplasmic extracts of HCMV-infected cells, but not mock-infected cells, by western blot analysis at 24 hpi. A caspase activity assay based on fluorescence spectrophotometry using a fluorogenic substrate revealed an increase in caspase-3 activity at 48 hpi in HCMV-infected cells. Caspase-8 activity was increased at 72 hpi in HCMV-infected cells. These results imply that HCMV infection induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in HFF cells.