Hydrolysis of inositol lipids: an early signal of human cytomegalovirus infection.

The production of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3) and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DG) as an early cellular response to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection was investigated in human embryo lung (LU) cells. The results obtained show transient 85 and 30% increases in IP3 and DG, respectively, 20 min post-exposure to HCMV. Following heat inactivation or serum neutralization of HCMV stock or in the presence of papaverine we failed to detect increased levels of IP3 and DG relative to mock-infected LU cultures.