title: In vivo induction of autophagy in splenocytes of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice infected with ectromelia orthopoxvirus.
abstract: Autophagy is a self-degradation process of cellular components. It plays both antiviral and pro-viral roles in the life cycle of different viruses and the pathogenesis of different viral diseases. In this study, we evaluated autophagy induction in splenocytes of ectromelia virus (ECTV)-resistant C57BL/6 and ECTV-susceptible BALB/c mice during infection with the Moscow strain of the ectromelia virus (ECTV-MOS). Autophagy was analyzed using the Western blot method by assessing type II microtubule-associated protein 1 (MAP1) light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin 1 expression levels relative to beta-actin. Results indicated an increased ratio of LC3-II to beta-actin in splenocytes of C57BL/6 mice only at 7 day post infection (d.p.i.) compared to uninfected animals. LC3-II/beta-actin and Beclin 1/beta-actin ratios in splenocytes of BALB/c mice increased at 5 d.p.i. and remained high until day 14 and 7 p.i., respectively. We confirmed the formation of autophagosome structures in the spleen of BALB/c mice by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, autophagy accompanied necrosis in the splenocytes of infected animals. Results suggest that ECTV-MOS induced autophagy, especially in the spleen of the susceptible mouse strain, may support viral replication and promote cell necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martyniszyn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Szulc-Dabrowska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boratyńska-Jasińska
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Badowska-Kozakiewicz
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Niemiałtowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D004481:Ectromelia virus; D004482:Ectromelia, Infectious / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology