Dielectric investigations of the membrane properties of baby hamster kidney fibroblasts following infection with Herpes Simplex Virus, type 1

The dielectric properties of Baby Hamster Kidney Fibroblasts (BHK(C-13)) were determined by electrorotation. The purpose of the investigation was to determine how the membrane properties of BHK(C-13) fibroblasts change as a result of infection with Herpes Simplex Virus, type 1 (HSV-1). The dielectric properties of the cells were investigated as a function of time after infection, starting with uninfected cells. The specific membrane capacitance of an uninfected cell was found to be 2.0 /spl mu/F/cm/sup 2/, but after infection this value reduced to 1.3 /spl mu/F/cm/sup 2/, 18 hours post-infection. The results are discussed in relation to the known biophysical life cycle of HSV-1. Prospects for dielectrophoretic fractionation of cells at different stages in the virus life-cycle are discussed.