The GDVII strain of Theiler's virus spreads via axonal transport

Citation
C. Martinat et al., The GDVII strain of Theiler's virus spreads via axonal transport, J VIROLOGY, 73(7), 1999, pp. 6093-6098
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Microbiology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
ISSN journal
0022538X → ACNP
Volume
73
Issue
7
Year of publication
1999
Pages
6093 - 6098
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-538X(199907)73:7<6093:TGSOTV>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Following intracerebral inoculation, the DA strain of Theiler's virus seque ntially infects neurons in the gray matter and glial cells in the white mat ter of the spinal cord. It persists in the latter throughout the life of th e animal. Several observations suggest that the virus spreads from the gray to the white matter by axonal transport. In contrast, the neurovirulent GD VII strain causes a fatal encephalitis with lytic infection of neurons. It does not infect the white matter of the spinal cord efficiently and does no t persist in survivors. The inability of this virus to infect the white mat ter could be due to a defect in axonal transport. Using footpad inoculation s, we showed that the GDVII strain is, in fact, transported in axons. Trans port was prevented by sectioning the sciatic nerve. The kinetics of transpo rt and experiments using colchicine suggested that the virus uses microtubu le-associated fast axonal transport. Our results show that a cardiovirus ca n spread by fast axonal transport and suggest that the inability of the GDV II strain to infect the white matter is not due to a defect in axonal trans port.