title: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV): propagation, quantitation, and storage.
abstract: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an enveloped, ambisense RNA virus and the prototypic virus of the arenavirus group. It can cause viral meningitis and other ailments in humans, but its natural host is the mouse. The LCMV/mouse model has been useful for examining mechanisms of viral persistence and the basic concepts of virus-induced immunity and immunopathology. This unit discusses strain differences and biosafety containment issues for LCMV. Recommendations are made for techniques for propagating LCMV to high titers to quantify it by plaque assay and PCR techniques and to preserve its infectivity by appropriate storage.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Mina O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Seedhom
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D046508:Culture Techniques; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000254:growth & development*; D016272:Occupational Health; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014709:Vero Cells; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay / Q000379:methods*; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods*; D014776:Virus Cultivation
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
references.citation: J Immunol. 2004 Mar 15;172(6):3454-61
references.pmid: 15004145
references.citation: Immunity. 2004 Jul;21(1):67-80
references.pmid: 15345221
references.citation: Science. 1998 Dec 11;282(5396):2079-81
references.pmid: 9851928
references.citation: Nature. 1993 Apr 22;362(6422):758-61
references.pmid: 8469287
references.citation: J Virol. 1994 Nov;68(11):7367-73
references.pmid: 7933120
references.citation: Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2002;262:175-93
references.pmid: 11987806
references.citation: J Exp Med. 1977 Jun 1;145(6):1449-68
references.pmid: 301173
references.citation: Virology. 1995 Jun 20;210(1):29-40
references.pmid: 7793078
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Mar 14;97(6):2749-54
references.pmid: 10688894
references.citation: J Exp Med. 1998 Dec 21;188(12):2205-13
references.pmid: 9858507