Ebola virus (EBOV) infection of ARPE-19 cells

We inoculated ARPE-19 human retinal pigment epithelial cells with EBOV, and followed course of infection by immunocytochemistry and measurement of titer in culture supernatant. To interrogate transcriptional responses of infected cells, we combined RNA sequencing with in silico pathway, gene ontology, transcription factor binding site and network analyses. Human retinal pigment epithelial cells were permissive to infection with EBOV, and supported viral replication and release of virus in high titer. Unexpectedly, 28% of 560 up-regulated transcripts in EBOV-infected cells were type I IFN responsive, indicating a robust type I IFN response. Overall design: Transcriptomic profiles of ARPE-19 cells 24 hours following infection with EBOV or mock-infection