Infectious Lymphocytes in Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Carrier Mice

Abstract

SUMMARYThe infectivity of blood and lymphoid organs of mice persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningifis virus was found to be predominantly associated with lymphocytes and both T and B cells were infectious. A hypothesis is presented in which it is assumed that lymphocytes in carrier mice are infected via their LCM virus-specific antigen receptors, thereby leading to their antigen-triggered clonal expansion followed by infection and functional inactivation.

Multiplication of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus in Thymocytes During its Persistence in Mice

“…Furthermore, the infected thymocytes from adult carrier mice were PNA-, in agreement with the earlier data showing that these cells labelled with anti-LCM virus fluorescent antibody were located mainly in the medulla (Brown, 1968;Popescu et al, 1979) which is the site containing precirculating immunocompetent lymphocytes. Testing this hypothesis will require not only a clarification of the disputed progeny relationship between the major classes of thymocytes (for review, see Stutman, 1978) but also the description of the yet unknown differences related to age within each class.…”

“…This subpopulation may represent the LCM virus clone of lymphocytes unable to function because they are infected (Popescu et al, 1979). The circumstances leading to the infection of lymphocytes in carrier mice have remained unknown.…”

“…In the blood and lymphoid organs of virus-carrier mice, a subpopulation of resting lymphocytes contains replicating LCM virus (Popescu et al, 1977(Popescu et al, , 1979Doyle & Oldstone, 1978). This subpopulation may represent the LCM virus clone of lymphocytes unable to function because they are infected (Popescu et al, 1979).…”

The Immune Response of the Mouse to Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus. II. Active Suppression of Cell-mediated Immunity by Infection with High Virus Doses

“…Their disruption led to release of infectious virus, meaning that they are productively infected (Tijerina et al, 1980). In contrast, the infectious lymphocytes found in LCM virus carrier mice lose their potential to score as IC if treated with ultrasound prior to plating (Doyle & Oldstone, 1978;Popescu et al, 1979). On this basis we performed the following experiment.…”

High resolution in situ hybridization to determine the cellular distribution of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus RNA in the tissues of persistently infected mice: relevance to arenavirus disease and mechanisms of viral persistence

“…Persistently infected mice demonstrate changes in endocrine homeostasis associated with infection of various tissues (Oldstone et al, 1985b;Klavinskis & Oldstone, 1987a;Tishon & Oldstone, 1987). In persistent infection, viral antigens have been detected in neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) (Nathanson et al, 1975;Rodriguez et al, 1983), renal tubules (Accinni et a!., 1978), thyroid (Klavinskis & Oldstone, 1987a), pancreas (Rodriguez et al, 1985) and in T and B lymphocytes, and macrophages in the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes (Doyle & Oldstone, 1978;Popescu et al, 1979). Most of these studies have used immunofluorescence techniques on frozen sections to detect viral antigens, but immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy have also been employed.…”