title: In vitro demonstration of neural transmission of avian influenza A virus.
abstract: Neural involvement following infections of influenza viruses can be serious. The neural transport of influenza viruses from the periphery to the central nervous system has been indicated by using mouse models. However, no direct evidence for neuronal infection has been obtained in vitro and the mechanisms of neural transmission of influenza viruses have not been reported. In this study, the transneural transmission of a neurotropic influenza A virus was examined using compartmentalized cultures of neurons from mouse dorsal root ganglia, and the results were compared with those obtained using the pseudorabies virus, a virus with well-established neurotransmission. Both viruses reached the cell bodies of the neurons via the axons. This is the first report on axonal transport of influenza A virus in vitro. In addition, the role of the cytoskeleton (microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments) in the neural transmission of influenza virus was investigated by conducting cytoskeletal perturbation experiments. The results indicated that the transport of avian influenza A virus in the neurons was independent of microtubule integrity but was dependent on the integrity of intermediate filaments, whereas pseudorabies virus needed both for neural spread.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakoda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umemura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009474:Neurons / Q000821:virology*