Hyaluronidase enhances cell fusion and synthesis of viral DNA during infection with caprine arthritis encephalitis virus

Abstract

Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) is a lentivirus which infects goats and causes chronic progressive arthritis after a prolonged incubation period. CAEV replicates productively in cultures of goat synovial membrane cells and causes cytopathic effects characterized by multinucleated giant cell formation. The enzyme hyaluronidase was found to accelerate this virus induced fusion of GSM cells. Hyaluronidase treatment also resulted in synthesis of increased levels of unintegrated viral DNA early after infection. However, there was no significant increase in viral RNA in the infected cells or in the amount of virus produced. These studies suggest that hyaluronidase facilitates the interaction of CAEV with the target cells. Further it suggests that only a few copies of viral DNA are required to achieve maximal levels of virus replication. Additional copies of viral DNA appear to be redundant not contributing to viral specific transcription or increased production of virus.