Syncytium formation caused by human cytomegalovirus in human embryonic lung fibroblasts

Abstract
Large syncytia were regularly produced after prolonged infectionin vitro of human embryonic fibroblasts by AD169 and other strains of human CMV. The syncytia showed typical CMV intranuclear inclusion bodies and herpesvirus particles in the nuclei and cytoplasm. It is proposed that syncytium formation follows abortive infection of the fibroblasts with defective virus.