How to cite this article: Vet. Res. (2010) 41:06
DOI: 10.1051/vetres/2009054

The infection of primary avian tracheal epithelial cells with infectious bronchitis virus

Ching-I Shen¹, Ching-Ho Wang², Jiunn-Wang Liao³, Tien-Wang Hsu⁴, Shu-Ming Kuo⁴ and Hong-Lin Su<sup>4

1</sup>  Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung-Hsing University, 250, Kuo-Kuang Rd., Taichung, 402, Taiwan, Republic of China
²  School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106, Taiwan, Republic of China
³  Graduate Institute of Veterinary Pathobiology, National Chung-Hsing University, 250, Kuo-Kuang Rd., Taichung, 402, Taiwan, Republic of China
⁴  Department of Life Sciences, National Chung-Hsing University, 250, Kuo-Kuang Rd., Taichung, 402, Taiwan, Republic of China

Received 19 July 2009; accepted 24 September 2009; published online 1 October 2009

Abstract - Here we introduce a culture system for the isolation, passaging and ampli.cation of avian tracheal epithelial (ATE) cells. The ATE medium, which contains chicken embryo extract and fetal bovine serum, supports the growth of ciliated cells, goblet cells and basal cells from chicken tracheas on fibronectin- or matrigel-coated dishes. Non-epithelial cells make up less than 10% of the total population. We further show that ATE cells support the replication and spread of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Interestingly, immunocytostaining revealed that basal cells are resistant to IBV infection. We also demonstrate that glycosaminoglycan had no effect on infection of the cells by IBV. Taken together, these findings suggest that primary ATE cells provide a novel cell culture system for the amplification of IBV and the in vitro characterization of viral cytopathogenesis.

Key words: tracheal epithelial cell / infectious bronchitis virus / basal cell / primary culture / glycosaminoglycan

Corresponding author: suhonglin@nchu.edu.tw

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2009