title: Ovine herpesvirus 2 structural proteins in epithelial cells and M-cells of the appendix in rabbits with malignant catarrhal fever.
abstract: Sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), caused by Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), is a usually fatal disease of various ruminants and swine. A system for propagation of OvHV-2 in vitro has not yet been identified, although persistently infected cells have been derived from diseased animals and used to establish an animal model in rabbits. OvHV-2 structural proteins have not been detected in diseased animals and the pathogenesis of OvHV-2 infection is poorly understood. Recently, the genomic sequence of OvHV-2 has been determined, which allowed to predict the amino acid sequences of putative OvHV-2 structural proteins. Based on those predictions, we have generated antisera against two putative structural proteins (ORF43 and ORF63) of OvHV-2 in order to detect sites of active virus replication in experimentally OvHV-2-infected rabbits with signs of MCF. Although histological lesions typical of MCF were detected in multiple tissues, those sera detected viral capsid and tegument antigens exclusively in the appendix but not in other tissues of rabbits with MCF. More specifically, those viral proteins were detected in epithelial cells as well as in M-cells. However, in situ hybridization revealed that ORF63 mRNA was present in epithelial cells of infected rabbits but not in M-cells. Our data suggest that active OvHV-2 replication takes place in certain tissues of animals with MCF and that M-cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of MCF.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Meier-Trummer
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobler
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hilbe
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Haig
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Glauser
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ehrensperger
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ackermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001065:Appendix / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000502:physiology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D008304:Malignant Catarrh / Q000821:virology*; D011817:Rabbits