title: A lentiviral expression system demonstrates that L* protein of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) has an anti-apoptotic effect in a macrophage cell line.
abstract: DA subgroup strains of TMEV persist in the CNS of infected mice and induce demyelination. The mechanism(s) of virus persistence and demyelination remains unknown. DA subgroup strains synthesize a 17-kDa protein, called L*, from an initiation site out-of-frame with the polyprotein. The previous study using a mutant virus, DAL*-1 (in which the L* AUG is substituted by an ACG) showed that L* has an anti-apoptotic effect in a macrophage cell line, P388D1. Therefore, we established P388D1 cells that continuatively express L*, in order to confirm its role in TMEV-induced apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic activity of L* may be important in TMEV pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Uchinada, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Himeda
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kontani
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000821:virology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D017945:Theilovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014343:Trypan Blue; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C476329:2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H tetrazolium monosodium salt; C096897:L(asterisk) protein, Theiler's encephalomyelitis virus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D014764:Viral Proteins; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D014343:Trypan Blue