The ATF6 branch of unfolded protein response and apoptosis are activated to promote African swine fever virus infection

Galindo, I; Hernáez, B; Muñoz-Moreno, R; Cuesta-Geijo, M A; Dalmau-Mena, I; Alonso, C

Activation of caspases in ASFV-infected cells. Caspases are key factors in the regulation of apoptotic pathways. These proteins are induced by a variety of apoptotic triggers (stimuli). To identify the apoptotic pathways induced in ASFV-infected cells, we performed caspase activity assays at a range of times after infection (Figure 1 ). ASFV induced caspases 3 and 9 in Vero (African green monkey kidney) cells from 16 h postinfection (hpi) and increased this activation along infection, with higher levels at 48 hpi and both curves showed a similar pattern (Figures 1a and b) . However, caspase 8 activity was not detected in infected Vero cells (Figure 1c ). This observation was further confirmed in the infected WSL-R macrophage cell line ( Figure 1d) ; however, caspase 8 activity was found in the specific positive control in both cases.