Summary
Using in situ hybridization with a cloned DNA probe specific for the VSV G protein, viral RNA was detected and localized in CNS tissue of mice infected i.c. with either wild or ts G 31 VSV mutant. In both cases, brain and spinal cord neurons were the only cells seen to contain viral RNA. Virus-positive neurons were observed enclosed in spongious areas induced by the ts VSV mutant. These results suggest that the VSV shows a strong tropism for the neuronal cell and indicate that the vacuole formation might be associated with the expression of the VSV G protein gene in infected neurons.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Basle M, Fournier JG, Rozenblatt S, Rebel A, Bouteille M (1986) Measles virus RNA detected in Paget's disease bone tissue by in situ hybridization. J Gen Virol 67:907–913
Dal Canto MC, Rabinowitz SG, Johnson TC (1976) An ultrastructural study of central nervous system disease produced by wild type and temperature sensitive mutant of vesicular stomatitis virus. Lab Invest 35:185–196
Fournier JG, Rozenblatt S, Bouteille M (1983) Localization of measles virus nucleic acid sequences in infected cells by in situ hybridization. Biol Cell 49:287–290
Fournier JG, Tardieu M, Lebon P, Robain O, Ponsot G, Rozenblatt S, Bouteille M (1985) Detection of measles virus RNA in lymphocytes from peripheral blood and brain perivascular infiltrates of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. N Engl J Med 313:910–915
Fournier JG, Lebon P, Bouteille M, Goutieres F, Rozenblatt S (1986) Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: detection of measles virus RNA in appendix lymphoid tissue before clinical signs. Br Med J 293:523–524
Gillet JP, Derer P, Tsiang H (1986) Axonal transport of rabies virus in the central nervous system of the rat. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 45:619–634
Hughes JV, Johnson TC, Rabinowitz SG, Dal Canto MC (1979) Growth and maturation of a vesicular stomatitis virus temperature-sensitive mutant and its central nervous system isolate. J Virol 29:312–321
Johnson RT (1965) Experimental rabies. Studies of cellular vulnerability and pathogenesis using fluorescent antibody staining. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 24:662–674
Kretzschmar HA, Prusiner SB, Stowring LE, DeArmond SJ (1986) Scrapie prion proteins are synthesized in neurons. Am J Pathol 122:1–5
Myoshi K, Harter DH, Hsu KC (1971) Neuropathological and immunofluorescence studies of experimental vesicular stomatitis virus encephalitis in mice. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 30:266–278
Rabinowitz SG, Dal Canto MC, Johnson TC (1976) Comparison of central nervous system disease produced by wild type and temperature-sensitive mutants of vesicular stomatitis virus. Infect Immun 13:1242–1249
Robain O, Chany-Fournier F, Cerutti I, Mazlo M, Chany C (1986) Role of VSV G antigen in the development of experimental spongiform encephalopathy in mice. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 70:220–226
Rose JK, Bergmann JE (1982) Expression from cloned cDNA of cell-surface secreted forms of the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus in eucaryotic cells. Cell 30:753–762
Stanners CP, Goldberg VJ (1975) On the mechanism of neurotropism of vesicular stomatitis virus in newborn hamster. Studies with temperature-sensitive mutants. J Gen Virol 29:281–296
Tsiang H (1979) Evidence for an intra-axonal transport of fixed and street rabies virus. J neuropathol Exp Neurol 38:286–296
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fournier, J.G., Robain, O., Cerutti, I. et al. Detection of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) RNA in the central nervous system of infected mice by in situ hybridization. Acta Neuropathol 75, 554–556 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00686199
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00686199