Perspective: virus infections and the death of neurons.
Neuronotropic viruses induce apoptosis in neurons, and Bcl-2-related anti-apoptotic proteins and caspase inhibitors decrease mortality from acute viral encephalitis. Infected neurons develop cytoplasmic blebbing characteristic of apoptosis, but a paucity of apoptotic nuclear changes potentially indicates unique aspects of virus-induced neuronal apoptosis that remain to be discovered.
Griffin
D E
DE
Dept of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.dgriffin@jhsph.edu
Hardwick
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*