Viral Replication Assay in Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages.

The selection of macrophages as a cell type for investigating virus-host interactions is based on cellular tropism of the virus during infection as well as contribution of these cells to pathogenesis in the host. In response to mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection, bone marrow-resident monocytes that mobilize to infected tissues to differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells are hijacked in order to facilitate viral persistence. These cells contribute significantly to MCMV biology and, thus, are actively recruited by the virus-encoded chemokine. In this chapter, we provide detailed methodologies employed in our laboratory to assess MCMV replication in bone marrow-derived macrophages.