INDUCTION OF INTERCELLULAR-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 GENE-EXPRESSION BY MEASLES-VIRUS IN HUMAN UMBILICAL VEIN ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) by endoth elial cells is important for the regulation of adhesion and transendot helial migration of a variety of leukocytes that express the integrins lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) and/or Mac-1. Here, we demonstrate strain-specific differences in the ability of measles v irus (MV) to induce ICAM-1 expression. The vaccine strain Moraten (Mor ) rapidly induced high levels of ICAM-1 mRNA and protein expression, w hereas the vaccine strain CAM-70 and the Edmonston wild type (Edwt) st rain were far less effective, even when th ey were used at very high m ultiplicities of infection (MOIs). Strain-specific differences in the induction were not a consequence of differences in the ability to infe ct ECs. Furthermore, induction of ICAM-1 by Mor was not dependent on d e novo expression of MV or cellular proteins. Dual-immunofluorescence analysis indicated that there was no association between the expressio n of either MV nucleocapsid or hemagglutinin protein and the induction of ICAM-1 expression. Some human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HU VECs) that expressed high nucleocapsid protein in response to either M or or CAM-70 failed to express elevated ICAM-1, whereas some HUVECs th at were incubated with Mor expressed high ICAM-1 prior to expression o f MV nucleocapsid protein. Strain-specific differences in the ability of Mor and CAM-70 to induce ICAM-1 correlated with their ability to ac tivate the latent transcription factor NF-KB. These studies suggest a preexisting component of MV particles that leads to strain-specific di fferences in the activation of NF-KB and the induction of ICAM-1 gene expression. J. Med. Virol 57:9-16, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.