Cytotoxic T-cell activity is not detectable in Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus-infected mice.
Previously published research has established that the immune response to the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) vaccine strain TC-83 is Th 1-mediated, with local activation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. This suggests that cytotoxic lymphocytes CTL may play a role in protection against virulent VEEV. Studies involving a variety of immunisation schedules with either TC-83 or strain CAAR 508 (serogroup 5) of VEEV, and six different haplotypes of mice, failed to reveal functional CTL activity against VEEV-infected targets in secondary antigen-stimulated lymphocyte cultures from either the draining lymph nodes (LN) or spleen. Nor were VEEV-specific CTL detected after immunisation of mice (three haplotypes) with recombinant vaccinia viruses (VV) expressing either the non-structural (nsP1-4) or the structural (C-E3-E2-6K-E1) genes of TC-83. Reciprocal experiments in which mice were immunised with TC-83, and their lymphocytes tested against VV recombinant-infected targets also failed to detect CTL activity. These data suggest that VEEV infection of mice does not elicit detectable CTL activity, and that CTL are unlikely to play a role in protection against virulent VEEV.
Jones
L D
LD
CEH Institute of Virology, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SR, Oxford, UK. ldj@ceh.ac.uk
Bennett
A M
AM
Moss
S R
SR
Gould
E A
EA
Phillpotts
R J
RJ
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006239:Haplotypes; D007114:Immunization; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
D014764:Viral Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines