Theiler's virus infection induces a specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte response.
Theiler's virus, a murine picornavirus, persists in the central nervous system of susceptible mouse strains and causes chronic inflammation and primary demyelination. One of the current hypotheses is that demyelination is, at least in part, mediated by virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). However, it is generally assumed that picornaviruses do not induce CTL. In point of fact, their existence has only been demonstrated for Coxsackievirus B-3. To determine whether Theiler's virus induces a CTL response, we generated a murine mastocytoma cell line stably transfected with the coding region of the genome of Theiler's virus strain DA. Using these cells as targets we showed that infected DBA/2 mice, a susceptible strain, produce cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The cytotoxic activity was Theiler's-virus specific. It was for the most part mediated by CD8+ T lymphocytes and H-2 restricted. This is the first demonstration that a specific CTL response is generated during Theiler's virus infection.
Unité des Virus Lents, UA 1157 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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Pena Rossi
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McAllister
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Fiette
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Brahic
D000818:Animals; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D004680:Maus Elberfeld virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
D006183:H-2 Antigens; D014764:Viral Proteins