title: Protection against wild-type murine gammaherpesvirus-68 latency by a latency-deficient mutant.
abstract: A murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV-68) mutant with deregulated transcription of its ORF50 transactivator was severely impaired in latency establishment. The deregulated virus showed reduced immunogenicity, probably reflecting a lower antigen load. However, it still elicited effective immunity to a subsequent wild-type (WT) virus challenge. Infection was not completely prevented, but was very substantially reduced in extent and the long-term level of WT viral DNA in lungs and spleens remained low. Thus latency-deficient MHV-68 illustrates a possible general approach to creating attenuated gammaherpesvirus vaccines that can protect against pathogenic WT infections.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boname
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.
authors.forename: Janet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK.
authors.forename: Philip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D013154:Spleen / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines