title: Persistent infection of a gammaherpesvirus in the central nervous system.
abstract: Human gammaherpesvirus infections of the central nervous system (CNS) have been linked to various neurological diseases. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68), genetically related and biologically similar to human gammaherpesviruses, infects the CNS in laboratory mice. However, viral persistency of MHV-68 has not been studied following CNS infection. In this study, we undertook the noninvasive bioluminescence imaging of a recombinant MHV-68 expressing the firefly luciferase (M3FL) to monitor virus progression after CNS infection. The M3FL virus inoculated in the brain systemically spread to the abdominal area in bioluminescence imaging, which was further confirmed by detection of viral genome and transcripts. The disseminated wild-type virus established latency in the spleen. Moreover, the treatment of the infected mice with CsA induced reactivation of latent MHV-68 from the brain and the spleen. Our results suggest that MHV-68 may persist both inside and outside the CNS once it gains access to the CNS.
authors.affiliation: Virus-Host Interactions Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Ri
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Hye-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sungbum
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tae Sup
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seungmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Moon Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000821:virology*; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019562:Viral Load; D017735:Virus Latency; D014779:Virus Replication