Virus-Host Interactions Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
Virology. 2012 Feb 5;423(1):23-9. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2011.11.012. Epub 2011 Dec 12.
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.
人类γ疱疹病毒感染中枢神经系统（CNS）与各种神经疾病有关。与人类γ疱疹病毒具有遗传和生物学相似性的鼠γ疱疹病毒 68（MHV-68）可感染实验小鼠的中枢神经系统。然而，MHV-68 在中枢神经系统感染后的持续存在尚未得到研究。在这项研究中，我们使用表达萤火虫荧光素酶的重组 MHV-68（M3FL）进行非侵入性生物发光成像，以监测中枢神经系统感染后病毒的进展。M3FL 病毒在脑内接种后通过生物发光成像全身扩散到腹部区域，通过检测病毒基因组和转录本进一步证实了这一点。传播的野生型病毒在脾脏中建立潜伏。此外，用 CsA 治疗感染小鼠可诱导潜伏的 MHV-68 从脑和脾脏中重新激活。我们的结果表明，一旦 MHV-68 进入中枢神经系统，它可能会在中枢神经系统内外持续存在。
