Primary neurons become less susceptible to coxsackievirus B5 following maturation: the correlation with the decreased level of CAR expression on cell surface.
Coxsackievirus B (CVB) is one of the major pathogens of aseptic meningitis and meningioencephalitis, particularly in newborn infants. To analyze the influence of neural maturation on susceptibility to CVB infection, we prepared immature and mature neurons from 16-day-old BALB/c embryonic cortex. In contrast to immature neurons, mature neurons were less susceptible to CVB5 infection, as indicated by the decrease of cytopathic features. In mature neurons, progeny virus production was significantly hindered, and virus capsid protein VP1 synthesis and virus genome amplification were concomitantly reduced. In addition, the expression of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), the major receptor of CVB5, was down-regulated in mature neurons. The antibody treatment specific to CAR significantly attenuated CVB5 susceptibility of immature neurons. These findings demonstrate that mature neurons become less susceptible to CVB by the decrease of CAR level. Thus, the data strongly support the idea that the level of virus receptor in neurons is one of the crucial determinants in the age-dependency of CVB virulence in central nervous system.
Ahn
Jeonghyun
J
Department of Microbiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jee
Youngmee
Y
Seo
Ilseon
I
Yoon
Seung Yong
SY
Kim
DongHou
D
Kim
Yoo Kyum
YK
Lee
Heuiran
H
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D062727:Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D015536:Down-Regulation; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D053586:Virus Internalization
C568771:CLMP protein, human; C568772:CLMP protein, mouse; D062727:Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein; D011991:Receptors, Virus