FIG. 5.

pUL38 is required to block cell death in HCMV-infected HF cells. (A) For the left panel, normal HF cells were infected with ADwt or ADdlUL38 at an input genome number equivalent to 2 PFU of wild-type virus/cell, and the morphology of infected cells was examined with a phase-contrast microscope at 40 h and 72 h postinfection. For the right panel, quantitative analysis was performed to compare cell death in HF cells infected with ADdlUL38 to that in cells infected with ADwt, as described in Materials and Methods. The ratio of the number of viable cells in ADdlUL38 infection to that in ADwt infection was plotted as a function of hours postinfection (hpi). (B) For the left panel, HF-GFP or HF-UL38 fibroblasts were infected with ADwt or ADdlUL38 at an input genome number equivalent to 1 PFU of wild-type virus/cell, and cell morphology was examined under a phase-contrast microscope at 72 h postinfection. For the right panel, quantitative analysis was performed to compare cell death in various fibroblasts infected with ADdlUL38 to that in cells infected with ADwt, as described in Materials and Methods. The ratio of the number of viable cells in ADdlUL38 infection to that in ADwt infection was plotted for various types of human fibroblasts tested. The results shown are representative of at least two independent experiments.