This study was aimed to explore the infection characteristics of murine mononuclear cell subpopulations in bone marrow with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). Subpopulations of mononuclear cells, including lin(+), lin(-), lin(-)CD117(+) and lin(-)CD117(-) cells, were infected with MCMV after being separated by MACS, and induced to differentiation by adding cytokines or inducer, then nucleic acid and proteins were detected. The results indicated that the MCMV DNA, IE transcripts and IE protein could be detected in the lin(+) cells infected with MCMV; no virus products were detected in infected lin(-) cells without adding any stimulating factors, while IE and E transcripts and proteins were detected after adding GM-CSF, rhEPO or phorbol ester in the lin(-) cells infected with MCMV. Furthermore, no IE or E gene transcripts were detected in the lin(-)CD117(+) and lin(-)CD117(-) cells, but the cell colony formation of lin(-)CD117(+) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells was inhibited after MCMV infection and expression of CD117 antigen on cell surface of the lin(-) cells was downregulated. It is concluded that MCMV can latently infect subpopulations of mononuclear cells in the murine bone marrow. Cells which are of characteristics of primitive stem and progenitor cells are not susceptible to MCMV, but infection of these cells with MCMV can inhibit functions of cells and downregulate the expression of antigen on cells surface.
