Spontaneous shift of an hsv type 1 productive, persistently infected macrophage-like culture to a non-productive culture

A herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) productive, persistently infected murine macrophage-like culture was obtained by infection at low multiplicity (0.001). Persistent cultures were characterized by spontaneously ceasing to produce infectious viruses after initial HSV1 production. A similar pattern of virus production was observed in cultures obtained by reinfection of the persistent macrophages with the original virus. Nonetheless, in persistent and reinfected cultures (17/18) which did not produce infectious viruses, vital proteins were detected by immunoblot, although their molecular weight, number and pattern differed among the cultures.