Mammalian orthoreovirus infection is enhanced in cells pre-treated with sodium arsenite

Michael M. Lutz; Megan P. Worth; Meleana M. Hinchman; John S. L. Parker; Emily D. Ledgerwood

Immediately following adsorption of reovirus, CV-1 cells were treated with increasing 377 amounts of salubrinal and cells were harvested at 18 h p.i. to determine viral protein 378 expression ( Figure 6A ). Even at high concentrations, salubrinal had no impact on viral 379 protein expression, suggesting that reovirus tolerates the cellular antiviral activity of 380 eIF2α phosphorylation. Given that sodium arsenite is a known inducer of eIF2α 381 phosphorylation, we also tested the impact of adding salubrinal following reovirus 382 adsorption to sodium-arsenite pre-treated cells ( Figure 6A ). Again, we observed no 383 negative impact on viral protein expression when cells were pre-treated with sodium 384 arsenite prior to infection and then incubated in the presence of salubrinal for the duration 385 of infection ( Figure 6A ). Consistent with this, the percentage of virus infected cells was 386 unaffected by the addition of 50 mM salubrinal either in cells left untreated or cells pre-387 treated with 0.5 mM sodium arsenite ( Figures 6B-C) . Together, these data suggest that 388 sustained eIF2α-phosphorylation resulting from salubrinal treatment during reovirus 389 infection is not anti-viral. 390 All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.