Virological Aspects of Measles Virus-induced Encephalomyelitis in Lewis and BN Rats (original) (raw)

Efficacy of individual measles virus structural proteins in the protection of rats from measles encephalitis

Journal of General Virology, 1991

Lewis rats were immunized with recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) expressing the nucleocapsid (N), phospho (P), matrix (M), fusion (F), and haemagglutinin (H) proteins of measles virus (MV). Animals developed humoral as well as cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to the corresponding MV proteins. Rats immunized with recombinants VVN, VVF or VVH survived a MV challenge infection whereas VVP-and VVM-immunized rats were only partially protected. In vivo depletion of CD8 ÷ T lymphocytes did not prevent the protective effect of the N, F or H protein-specific CMI response in rats. VVH and VVF immunization induced neutralizing antibodies, but no such antibodies were detected after VVN immunization. Further investigation of the temporal occurrence of the antiviral antibodies indicated that the observed protection provided by VVN and VVF immunization depends on CD4 ÷ N-or F-specific T cells in the absence of neutralizing antibodies and CD8 ÷ T cells. A role for neutralizing antibodies induced by VVH cannot be ruled out. 0001-0323 © 1991 SGM

Restricted Expression of Measles Virus Proteins in Brains from Cases of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis

Journal of General Virology, 1986

The presence of five structural proteins of measles virus in brain material obtained at autopsy from four patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) was examined by immunofluorescence employing monoclonal antibodies. In addition, the humoral immune response against measles virus antigens in serum and cerebrospinal fluid was analysed by immunoprecipitation in combination with gel electrophoresis, revealing a reduced response mainly to the matrix (M) protein. In none of the brain material were all five structural proteins simultaneously detected. Nucleocapsid protein and phosphoprotein were found in every diseased brain area, whereas haemagglutinin (H) protein was detected in two, fusion (F) protein in three and M protein only in one SSPE case. In two cases, variations in the occurrence of H and F proteins could be observed between regions displaying different degrees of neuropathological changes. No correlation was observed between the humoral immune response and the immunohistological findings. These data support the hypothesis of a restricted synthesis of measles virus proteins, in particular the envelope and M proteins, in SSPE. 0000-7226 © 1986 SGM Downloaded from www.microbiologyresearch.org by IP: 54.160.90.203

The H Gene of Rodent Brain-Adapted Measles Virus Confers Neurovirulence to the Edmonston Vaccine Strain

Journal of Virology

Molecular determinants of neuropathogenesis have been shown to be present in the hemagglutinin (H) protein of measles virus (MV). An H gene insertion vector has been generated from the Edmonston B vaccine full-length infectious clone of MV. Using this vector, it is possible to insert complete H open reading frames into the parental (Edtag) background. The H gene from a rodent brain-adapted MV strain (CAM/RB) was inserted into this vector, and a recombinant virus (EdtagCAMH) was rescued by using a modified vaccinia virus which expresses T7 RNA polymerase (MVA-T7). The recombinant virus grew at an equivalent rate and to similar titers as the CAM/RB and Edtag parental viruses. Neurovirulence was assayed in a mouse model for MV encephalitis. Viruses were injected intracerebrally into the right cortex of C57/BL/6 suckling mice. After infection mice inoculated with the CAM/RB strain developed hind limb paralysis and ataxia. Clinical symptoms were never observed with an equivalent dose of ...

Susceptibility of mice to acute and persistent measles infection

Infection and immunity, 1978

Intracerebral inoculation of neonatal mice with the Edmonston strain of measles virus produced an acute, lethal encephalitis and thymic dysplasia in susceptible mice. There was an age-related development of resistance to infection. This resistance was strain-dependent and appeared to be associated with the extent of virus growth in the brain. Studies on the genetic basis for susceptibility, using hybrid and backcross mice, revealed that the principal determinant of host resistance to acute infection was a dominant gene or genes which segregated independently of the H-2 complex. A small number of survivors of the acute infection showed persistence of measles virus antigens in the cerebellum and spleen for up to 2 months after inoculation. However, the low frequency of this persistence indicated that, at this time, intracerebral inoculation of neonatal mice with the Edmonston strain of measles virus constitutes a difficult model for the study of persistant measles infection.

Presence of oligoclonal immunoglobulin G bands and lack of matrix protein antibodies in cerebrospinal fluids and sera of ferrets with measles virus encephalitis

Infection and immunity, 1983

Young adult ferrets were immunized with measles vaccine and 5 to 6 weeks later inoculated intracerebrally with Vero cells persistently infected with cell-associated strain D.R. of measles virus isolated from a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Of nine ferrets which survived the infection for 3 weeks or longer, five showed neurological signs. At the time of death they had widespread inflammation in their brains, and cell-associated virus was isolated from three ferrets sacrificed from 5 weeks to 7 months after inoculation. Four ferrets did not develop clinical signs, but two of these had mild inflammation in the brain 7 months and 2 1/2 years after inoculation, respectively. Cerebrospinal fluids drawn by cisternal puncture from infected ferrets at the time of sacrifice had neutralizing titers against measles virus similar to the titers found in sera, but antibody against the measles virus matrix protein was not detectable. Cerebrospinal fluid showed increased immunogl...

Clonal expansion and functional analysis of virus-specific T lymphocytes from cerebrospinal fluid in measles encephalitis

Human Immunology, 1983

T cells were directly cloned from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient ulith acute measles encephalitis by limiting dilution in the presence of irradiated feeder cells and T cell growth factor (TCGF). A total of 42 colonies was established. Functional analysis revealed 27 of them to be deriz'ed from a cytotoxic T lymphocyte as demonstrated by the abihty to exert phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-dependent cytotoxicity against uninfected allogeneic PHA blasts. Tu'entythree of the cytotoxic colonies were specific for measles rirus and restricted to self HLA-A orB antigens. Three clones were also found to give measles l'irus-specific proliferative responses. The resuhs show that the CSF in measles encephalitis contains a highly enriched population of in t,iz,o sensitized antigen-specific T cells. We propose that the clinical symptoms in measles encephalitis are caused by a T cell-mediated reaction against z,irus-infected brain cells. ABBREVIATIONS CNS central nervous system CSF cerebrospinal fluid CTL cytotoxic T lymphocyte EAE experimental allergic encephalitis TCGF T cell growth factor

Characterization of Measles Virus-Specific Proteins Synthesized In Vivo and In Vitro from Acutely and Persistently Infected Cells

Journal of Virology, 1979

Measles virus protein synthesis has been analyzed in acutely and persistently infected cells. To assess the role of measles in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), measles viral proteins synthesized in vivo or in vitro were tested for reactivity with serum from a guinea pig(s) immunized with measles virus and sera from patients with SSPE. Guinea pig antimeasles virus serum immunoprecipitates the viral polypeptides of 78,000 molecular weight (glycosylated [G]), 70,000 molecular weight (phosphorylated [P]), 60,000 molecular weight (nucleocapsid [N]), and 35,000 molecular weight (matrix [M]) from cells acutely infected with measles virus as well as from chronically infected cells, but in the latter case, immunoprecipitated M protein has a reduced electrophoretic migration. Sera of SSPE patients immunoprecipitated all but the G protein in acutely infected cells and only the P and N proteins from chronically infected cells. In immunoprecipitates of viral polypeptides synthesized i...

Measles virus infection and replication in undifferentiated and differentiated human neuronal cells in culture

Journal of Virology

Measles virus (MV) infection of the human central nervous system (CNS) typically involves widespread infection of neurons. However, little is known about how they become infected, how defective virus arises and accumulates, or how virus spreads among the cells of the CNS. In vitro studies of viral interactions with human neuronal cells may contribute to the resolution of such issues. In mixed cultures containing differentiated human neuronal (hNT2) cells and neuroepithelial cells, immunofluorescence studies show that the neurons, unlike both their NT2 progenitors and the neuroepithelial cells, are not initially susceptible to MV infection. This is possibly due to their lack of expression of CD46, a known cell surface receptor for MV. Later in the course of infection, however, both MV proteins and genomic RNA become detectable in their processes, where they contact infected, fully permissive neuroepithelial cells. Such a mechanism of virus transfer may be involved in the initiation a...