Mouse model to study the replication of primate foamy viruses.
A mouse model was developed to study the virus-host interaction of molecularly cloned human foamy virus (HFV) in vivo. The infectious process was analysed in two mouse strains, CBA/Ca and C57BL/6J, over a period of 24 weeks by PCR on DNAs from various animal tissues; virus serology was examined by immunoblotting. The infection persisted in both mouse strains and did not induce clinical symptoms. Upon infection of adult CBA/Ca mice HFV became detectable by PCR in an increasing number of organs over time. In contrast, in C57BL/6J mice, after an initial phase of dissemination, viral DNA sequences were found only in a few organs. Interestingly, the different course of infection was accompanied by differences in the antiviral immune response. In particular, C57BL/6J mice were high responders with respect to antibodies to the viral Bet protein, while CBA/Ca mice were low responders.
Schmidt
M
M
Institut für Virologie und Immunobiologie, Würzburg, Germany.
Niewiesk
S
S
Heeney
J
J
Aguzzi
A
A
Rethwilm
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D015751:Genes, pol; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011323:Primates / Q000821:virology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D016092:Spumavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014779:Virus Replication
D017931:DNA Primers