SummaryMurine norovirus (MNV) is a recently discovered mouse pathogen. Unlike the fastidious human noroviruses that cause the overwhelming majority of non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, MNV readily infects cells in culture. Its replication in primary murine macrophages and dendritic cells and their derived cell lines allows the study of norovirus cell entry for the first time. In this study we determined the role of pH during MNV-1 infection since the low pH environment of endosomes often triggers uncoating of viruses. We demonstrated that MNV-1 viral titers by plaque assay and expression of the non-structural protein VPg by immunofluorescence were not affected by pH in cultured and primary macrophages and dendritic cells in the presence of two known endosome acidification inhibitors, bafilomycin A1 and chloroquine. These data indicate that MNV-1 enters permissive cells in a pH-independent manner.
KeywordsRNA virus; norovirus; pH-independent entry; macrophages; dendritic cells; enteric virusNoroviruses are an understudied group of non-enveloped positive strand RNA viruses that belong to the Caliciviridae family (Green, 2007). Despite the significant impact of human noroviruses (HuNoV) on public health worldwide as the major agent of non-bacterial gastroenteritis (Green, 2007), no drug or vaccine exists to treat norovirus infections. This is partially due to the absence of a robust tissue culture system (Duizer et al., 2004;Straub et al., 2007). In contrast, murine norovirus (MNV), a highly prevalent agent in research mouse colonies (Hsu et al., 2005;Muller et al., 2007), readily infects murine macrophages and dendritic cells (DC) in culture and in vivo (Ward et al., 2006;Wobus et al., 2004;. Similar to HuNoV, MNV replicates in the gastrointestinal tract of its wild type or immunocompromised host, is shed in the feces, and is transmitted by the fecal-oral route (reviewed in: ). The ability to culture a norovirus has already led to insights into norovirus biology (Chaudhry et al., 2006;Daughenbaugh et al., 2006;Simmonds et al., 2008;Sosnovtsev et al., 2006) and inactivation (for example: (Baert et al., 2008;Belliot et al., 2008). However, no studies have yet addressed requirements for norovirus entry into cells. , email: E-mail: cwobus@umich.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. To gain access into host cells, viruses hijack cellular processes. The most commonly used endocytic pathway for virus entry is clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Viral entry can also occur via caveolin-mediated endocytosis, clathrin/caveolin-independent endocytosis, macropinocytosi...