IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY OF A CYTOPLASMIC DYNEIN (MAP 1C)-LIKE MOLECULE IN RODENT AND HUMAN BRAIN-TISSUE - AN EXAMPLE OF MOLECULAR MIMICRY BETWEEN CYTOPLASMIC DYNEIN AND INFLUENZA-A VIRUS

Immunohistochemistry with an antibody to influenza A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) virus was performed using normal mouse, rat and human brain tissues. Dot-like or filamentous structures in the neuronal cytoplasm were clea rly stained. Axons were also stained, but weakly. Lewy bodies in Parki nson's disease substantia nigra were also positive. Immunoscreening of the antibody using mouse brain cDNA revealed that this antibody recog nized the heavy chain of cytoplasmic dynein. Immunoblot analysis also showed that the reactive molecule was the same size as cytoplasmic dyn ein (microtubule-associated protein 1C). This is an example of molecul ar mimicry between cytoplasmic dynein and influenza A virus, and the a ntibody appears to be useful for the localization on cytoplasmic dynei n in the central nervous system.