Journal of General Virology, Vol 78, 1559-1563, Copyright © 1997 by Society for General Microbiology

ARTICLES

Death mechanisms in cultured cells infected by Semliki Forest virus

GM Glasgow, MM McGee, BJ Sheahan and GJ Atkins
Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

We have investigated the induction of cell death in cultured cells by the virulent SFV4 and avirulent A7 strains of Semliki Forest virus (SFV). In BHK cells, death occurred by a typical apoptotic mechanism, as did the death of oligodendrocytes in glial cell cultures. For cerebellar neuron cultures, virus-induced death was due to necrosis. Although the SFV4 and A7 strains did not differ in the mechanism of induction of cell death, the virulent SFV4 strain did multiply to a higher titre in cultured neurons than the avirulent A7 strain. This is consistent with previous animal studies which indicate that the virulence of SFV strains is controlled by rapidity of multiplication in the CNS, leading to a lethal threshold of damage, rather than differential cell tropism or cell death mechanisms. The immune-mediated demyelination induced by avirulent strains may be triggered by apoptosis of oligodendrocytes, the consequences of which are obscured by death for virulent strains.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Barry, L. Breakwell, R. Fragkoudis, G. Attarzadeh-Yazdi, J. Rodriguez-Andres, A. Kohl, and J. K. Fazakerley PKR acts early in infection to suppress Semliki Forest virus production and strongly enhances the type I interferon response J. Gen. Virol., June 1, 2009; 90(6): 1382 - 1391. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Tamm, A. Merits, and I. Sarand Mutations in the nuclear localization signal of nsP2 influencing RNA synthesis, protein expression and cytotoxicity of Semliki Forest virus J. Gen. Virol., March 1, 2008; 89(3): 676 - 686. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Fragkoudis, L. Breakwell, C. McKimmie, A. Boyd, G. Barry, A. Kohl, A. Merits, and J. K. Fazakerley The type I interferon system protects mice from Semliki Forest virus by preventing widespread virus dissemination in extraneural tissues, but does not mediate the restricted replication of avirulent virus in central nervous system neurons J. Gen. Virol., December 1, 2007; 88(12): 3373 - 3384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Boulant, P. Targett-Adams, and J. McLauchlan Disrupting the association of hepatitis C virus core protein with lipid droplets correlates with a loss in production of infectious virus J. Gen. Virol., August 1, 2007; 88(8): 2204 - 2213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Rheme, M. U. Ehrengruber, and D. Grandgirard Alphaviral cytotoxicity and its implication in vector development Exp Physiol, January 1, 2005; 90(1): 45 - 52. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. P. DiCiommo, A. Duckett, I. Burcescu, R. Bremner, and B. L. Gallie Retinoblastoma Protein Purification and Transduction of Retina and Retinoblastoma Cells Using Improved Alphavirus Vectors Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2004; 45(9): 3320 - 3329. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. M. Domegan and G. J. Atkins Apoptosis induction by the Therien and vaccine RA27/3 strains of rubella virus causes depletion of oligodendrocytes from rat neural cell cultures J. Gen. Virol., September 1, 2002; 83(9): 2135 - 2143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Brinster, M. Chen, D. Boucreux, G. Paranhos-Baccala, P. Liljestrom, F. Lemmonier, and G. Inchauspe Hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 3-specific cellular immune responses following single or combined immunization with DNA or recombinant Semliki Forest virus particles J. Gen. Virol., February 1, 2002; 83(2): 369 - 381. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. K. Fazakerley, A. Boyd, M. L. Mikkola, and L. Kaariainen A Single Amino Acid Change in the Nuclear Localization Sequence of the nsP2 Protein Affects the Neurovirulence of Semliki Forest Virus J. Virol., January 1, 2002; 76(1): 392 - 396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Nargi-Aizenman and D. E. Griffin Sindbis Virus-Induced Neuronal Death Is both Necrotic and Apoptotic and Is Ameliorated by N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonists J. Virol., August 1, 2001; 75(15): 7114 - 7121. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				T. Ahola, P. Kujala, M. Tuittila, T. Blom, P. Laakkonen, A. Hinkkanen, and P. Auvinen Effects of Palmitoylation of Replicase Protein nsP1 on Alphavirus Infection J. Virol., August 1, 2000; 74(15): 6725 - 6733. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. T. Tuittila, M. G. Santagati, M. Röyttä, J. A. Määttä, and A. E. Hinkkanen Replicase Complex Genes of Semliki Forest Virus Confer Lethal Neurovirulence J. Virol., May 15, 2000; 74(10): 4579 - 4589. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. N. Fleeton, P. Liljeström, B. J. Sheahan, and G. J. Atkins Recombinant Semliki Forest virus particles expressing louping ill virus antigens induce a better protective response than plasmid-based DNA vaccines or an inactivated whole particle vaccine J. Gen. Virol., March 1, 2000; 81(3): 749 - 758. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. J. Atkins, B. J. Sheahan, and P. Liljeström The molecular pathogenesis of Semliki Forest virus: a model virus made useful? J. Gen. Virol., September 1, 1999; 80(9): 2287 - 2297. [Full Text]