Two alpha-herpesvirus strains are transported differentially in the rodent visual system.
Uptake and transneuronal passage of wild-type and attenuated strains of a swine alpha-herpesvirus (pseudorabies [PRV]) were examined in rat visual projections. Both strains of virus infected subpopulations of retinal ganglion cells and passed transneuronally to infect retino-recipient neurons in the forebrain. However, the location of infected forebrain neurons varied with the strain of virus. Intravitreal injection of wild-type virus produced two temporally separated waves of infection that eventually reached all known retino-recipient regions of the central neuraxis. By contrast, the attenuated strain of PRV selectively infected a functionally distinct subset of retinal ganglion cells with restricted central projections. The data indicate that projection-specific groups of ganglion cells are differentially susceptible to the two strains of virus and suggest that this sensitivity may be receptor mediated.
Card
J P
JP
Viral Diseases Group, Du Pont Merck Pharmaceutical Company Wilmington, Delaware 19880-0228.
Whealy
M E
ME
Robbins
A K
AK
Moore
R Y
RY
Enquist
L W
LW
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000382:microbiology*; D011557:Pseudorabies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000382:microbiology*