A haemocyte tropism for an arbovirus.
Horizontally transmitted mosquito-borne viruses enter the midgut with a blood meal then disseminate to infect the salivary glands. En route to the salivary glands, these viruses encounter the plasma (haemolymph) and blood cells (haemocytes). Haemocytes respond to a variety of micro-organisms, but their role in virus replication and dissemination has not been described. To look for a potential haemocyte tropism for an arbovirus, a Sindbis virus was injected intrathoracically into four species of mosquito. Virus infects haemocytes as early as 6 h post injection (p.i.) and infection was evident in these cells for as long as 4 days p.i. More than 90 % of haemocytes were infected, most often the phagocytic granulocytes. Virus titres in the haemolymph increased from 24 h p.i. through 60 h p.i. Similar results were found when Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were injected with orally infectious Sindbis. These data prove that an arbovirus infects, and replicates in, haemocytes.
Parikh
Grishma R
GR
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Oliver
Jonathan D
JD
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Bartholomay
Lyric C
LC
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D001103:Arboviruses / Q000502:physiology*; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000821:virology*; D007700:Kinetics; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000821:virology; D012845:Sindbis Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D018523:Tropism / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication