Bat Cell Lines and Reagents Offer Insights into Virus-Host Interactions

Bats are known to be natural hosts for several viruses that can cause severe disease in humans, but the mechanisms by which bats tolerate these infections remain unclear. To better understand these interactions, it is important to study bat viruses in systems that closely mimic their natural environment, such as bat-derived in vitro cellular models. However, there is a lack of stable and accessible bat cell lines available to the scientific community.

In response to this need, Washington State University researchers developed cell lines and in vitro reagents for the Seba’s short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata). They explored various methods to immortalize these cells and assessed their susceptibility to viral infection as well as their immune response capabilities. The study utilized both a pseudotyped virus library and authentic virus infections to evaluate the new cell lines.

The results, published in PLOS Biology, showed that the C. perspicillata cell lines, which were derived from a range of tissues, are susceptible to viruses that have the glycoprotein of several orthohantaviruses, including Andes and Hantaan virus. These cell lines were also found to be susceptible to live hantavirus infection. Additionally, when the cells were stimulated with synthetic double-stranded RNA before being infected with vesicular stomatitis virus and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus, they exhibited a protective antiviral response. This indicates that the cell lines are suitable for studying the bat antiviral immune response.

Overall, the methods described in this study provide a foundation for developing in vitro tools for virology research using non-model organisms. The C. perspicillata cell lines created in this work will facilitate future studies on virus–host interactions in bats.