title: Immune response in the absence of neurovirulence in mice infected with m protein mutant vesicular stomatitis virus.
abstract: Matrix (M) protein mutants of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), such as rM51R-M virus, are less virulent than wild-type (wt) VSV strains due to their inability to suppress innate immunity. Studies presented here show that when inoculated intranasally into mice, rM51R-M virus was cleared from nasal mucosa by day 2 postinfection and was attenuated for spread to the central nervous system, in contrast to wt VSV, thus accounting for its reduced virulence. However, it stimulated an antibody response similar to that in mice infected with the wt virus, indicating that it has the ability to induce adaptive immunity in vivo without causing disease. These results support the use of M protein mutants of VSV as vaccine vectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. mahmed@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Tracie R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Shelby
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puckett
authors.forename: Nancy D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kock
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lyles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C094460:M protein, Vesicular stomatitis virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines