Infection by herpes simplex virus and cells of nervous system origin: characterization of a non-permissive interaction.

Replication of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-I) was studied in various cell lines of rat nervous system origin. Infection of neonatal rat glial primary cells with HSV-I, strain KOS, produced normal yields of progeny virus. Glioma lines B9 and B15 were permissive, the neuronal line B50 was partially restricted (10 to 100-fold reduction) and the neuronal line B103 was non-permissive (greater than 1000-fold reduction) for HSV-I (KOS) replication. Synthesis of virus DNA in infected B103 cells was not detected. However, at least some virus macromolecular synthesis was induced, including production of thymidine kinase, DNA polymerase and virus structural proteins.