Neuropathogenic murine leukemia virus TR1.3 induces selective syncytia formation of brain capillary endothelium.
Exposure of newborn BALB/c mice to murine leukemia virus (MLV) TR1.3 induces fusion of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC), loss of cerebral vessel integrity, hemorrhagic stroke, and death. Although TR1.3 infects endothelial cells in multiple organs, syncytia are only observed in BCEC. To determine if viral and cellular factors are responsible for selective syncytia formation, capillary endothelial cells (CEC) from multiple organs were assayed in vitro for MLV infection and cell fusion. Following incubation with virus, all CEC were infected to an equal extent as determined by expression of MLV envelope and infectious virus production; however, MLV-induced syncytia were only observed in TR1.3-infected BCEC cultures. These in vitro results mirror the in vivo pattern of TR1.3 MLV infection and neuropathology, and definitively show that selective fusion and pathology of BCEC by MLV is determined by properties unique to BCEC as contrasted to other endothelial cell types.
Landers
Maeran Chung
MC
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Dugger
Natalie
N
Quadros
Marlene
M
Hoffman
Paul M
PM
Gaulton
Glen N
GN
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000821:virology*; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D009928:Organ Specificity; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000032:analysis; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins