Cytomegalovirus M43 gene modulates T helper cell response.
Role of viral genes in modulating T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) balance is of principal interest in the study of cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunity. Murine CMV (MCMV) mutants were used to explore a possible mechanism for the ability of virus to induce a predominant Th1 response and to suppress Th2 response by examining the production of Th1 (IFN-gamma, IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines by the splenocytes of mice infected with wild type (WT) and MCMV mutants. Results (n=6) show that as compared with WT, the MCMV mutant with specific disruption of M43 gene upregulates the production of IL-4 (P=0.0002) and to a lesser extent IL-10 (P=0.015) at 14 days post infection. This indicates that M43 gene may play a role in suppressing Th2 (IL-4) production, especially in the later stage of infection. The IL-4 and IL-10 production during infection with M43 mutant occurs in the presence of a strong IFN-gamma (Th1) response, overriding the cross-regulatory effects of these cytokines within the Th1/Th2 paradigm and suggesting that the predominant response during CMV infection is still a Th1 type response.
Singh
Rekha
R
Program in Infectious Diseases and Immunity, School of Public Health, University of California, 140 Warren Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. singh_rek@yahoo.com
Haghjoo
Erik
E
Liu
Fenyong
F
D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma