title: Ovine fetal immune response to Cache Valley virus infection.
abstract: Cache Valley virus (CVV)-induced malformations have been previously reproduced in ovine fetuses. To evaluate the development of the antiviral response by the early, infected fetus, before the development of immunocompetency, ovine fetuses at 35 days of gestation were inoculated in utero with CVV and euthanized at 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days postinfection. The antiviral immune response in immature fetuses infected with CVV was evaluated. Gene expression associated with an innate, immune response was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. The upregulated genes in infected fetuses included ISG15, Mx1, Mx2, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, TLR-7, and TLR-8. The amount of Mx1 protein, an interferon-stimulated GTPase capable of restricting growth of bunyaviruses, was elevated in the allantoic and amniotic fluid in infected fetuses. ISG15 protein expression was significantly increased in target tissues of infected animals. B lymphocytes and immunoglobulin-positive cells were detected in lymphoid tissues and in the meninges of infected animals. These results demonstrated that the infected ovine fetus is able to initiate an innate and adaptive immune response much earlier than previously known, which presumably contributes to viral clearance in infected animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. arodrigues@cvm.tamu.edu
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues Hoffmann
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorniak
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Filant
authors.forename: Kathrin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dunlap
authors.forename: Fuller W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Bazer
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de la Concha-Bermejillo
authors.forename: Christabel Jane
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varner
authors.forename: John Francis
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002042:Bunyamwera virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006041:Goats; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D011247:Pregnancy; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction