title: Enhanced virus resistance of transgenic mice expressing the human MxA protein.
abstract: MxA is a GTPase that accumulates to high levels in the cytoplasm of interferon-treated human cells. Expression of MxA cDNA confers to transfected cell lines a high degree of resistance against several RNA viruses, including influenza, measles, vesicular stomatitis, and Thogoto viruses. We have now generated transgenic mice that express MxA cDNA in the brain and other organs under the control of a constitutive promoter. Embryonic fibroblasts derived from the transgenic mice were nonpermissive for Thogoto virus and showed reduced susceptibility for influenza A and vesicular stomatitis viruses. The transgenic animals survived challenges with high doses of Thogoto virus by the intracerebral or intraperitoneal route. Furthermore, the transgenic mice were more resistant than their nontransgenic littermates to intracerebral infections with influenza A and vesicular stomatitis viruses. These results demonstrate that MxA is a powerful antiviral agent in vivo, indicating that it may protect humans from the deleterious effects of infections with certain viral pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Universität Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Arzet
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hefti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frese
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rost
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staeheli
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Haller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D064547:Myxovirus Resistance Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C579071:MX1 protein, human; D064547:Myxovirus Resistance Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins