Fig 3.

VZV is unable to replicate in hESC when infection is bypassed by transfection of BAC DNA containing the VZV genome. hESC and ARPE cells were transfected with BACs containing VZV-GFP62 or PrV-GFP and photographed 6 days later. None of the hESC colonies displayed GFP, indicating VZV-GFP62 infection (A and B) in contrast to the many fluorescent foci resulting from viral replication in the ARPE cells (C and D). Transfection of PrV genome-containing BACs into hESC results in viral replication, as demonstrated by the GFP fluorescence after transfection with PrV-GFP (E and F). Transfection of PrV-GFP BACs in parallel to MeWo cells also leads to viral replication (G and H). Panels A, C, E, and G are phase-contrast micrographs, and panels B, D, F, and H are fluorescence photomicrographs of the same fields, with hESC colonies delineated by yellow dashed lines. Scale bars, 100 μm.