Isolation of a specific cellular mRNA by subtractive hybridization in Theiler's virus persistent infection.
Viruses change the mRNA repertoire of the tissues they infect. They add viral mRNAs and they specifically alter the expression of some host genes. These events can play important parts in pathogenesis. In principle, it should be possible to isolate viral mRNAs and to identify changes in host gene expression using subtractive hybridization. We tested this approach in the persistent infection of mouse central nervous system by Theiler's virus. A cDNA library was constructed with poly A+ RNA from infected mouse spinal cords. The library was screened with a subtracted probe. We identified one mitochondrial gene, coding for subunit 1 of cytochrome oxidase, which is overexpressed in infected tissues whereas another mitochondrial gene, URF 2, is not. Subtractive hybridization should prove to be invaluable in studying the pathogenesis of chronic human central nervous system diseases of unknown etiology.
Bureau
J F
JF
Unité Virus Lents, UA 1157 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Chirinian
S
S
Ozden
S
S
Aubert
C
C
Brahic
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010849:Picornaviridae / Q000502:physiology; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV