Synaptophysin and neurofilament expression in neurons infected with dengue virus.

The expression of two genes encoding the neuronal specific proteins synaptophysin and high molecular weight neurofilaments was investigated in primary cell cultures of embryonic mouse brain infected with dengue virus type 2, using immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibodies. The viral infection leads to a 20-fold induction in the expression of the mentioned synaptogenesis-related proteins. These results suggest a correlation between virus infection and neuropathology of immature neurons in vivo.