HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Free via Open Access: OA OA Free Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Milho, R. Articles by Stevenson, P. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Milho, R. Articles by Stevenson, P. G. Agricola Articles by Milho, R. Articles by Stevenson, P. G.

In vivo imaging of murid herpesvirus-4 infection

Laurent Gillet^1,

¹ Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, UK
² Instituto de Microbiologia e Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Correspondence
Philip G. Stevenson
pgs27{at}cam.ac.uk
J. Pedro Simas
psimas{at}fm.ul.pt

Luciferase-based imaging allows a global view of microbial pathogenesis. We applied this technique to gammaherpesvirus infection by inserting a luciferase expression cassette into the genome of murine herpesvirus-4 (MuHV-4). The recombinant virus strongly expressed luciferase in lytically infected cells without significant attenuation. We used it to compare different routes of virus inoculation. After intranasal infection of anaesthetized mice, luciferase was expressed in the nose and lungs for 7–10 days and in lymphoid tissue, most consistently the superficial cervical lymph nodes, for up to 30 days. Gastrointestinal infection was not observed. Intraperitoneal infection was very different to intranasal, with strong luciferase expression in the liver, kidneys, intestines, reproductive tract and spleen, but none in the nose or lungs. The nose has not previously been identified as a site of MuHV-4 infection. After intranasal infection of non-anaesthetized mice, it was the only site of non-lymphoid luciferase expression. Nevertheless, lymphoid colonization and persistence were still established, even at low inoculation doses. In contrast, virus delivered orally was very poorly infectious. Inoculation route therefore had a major impact on pathogenesis. Low dose intranasal infection without anaesthesia seems most likely to mimic natural transmission, and may therefore be particularly informative about normal viral gene functions.

Published online ahead of print on 15 October 2008 as DOI 10.1099/vir.0.2008/006569-0.

Present address: Immunology-Vaccinology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. E. Wright, S. Colaco, C. Colaco, and P. G. Stevenson Antibody limits in vivo murid herpesvirus-4 replication by IgG Fc receptor-dependent functions J. Gen. Virol., November 1, 2009; 90(11): 2592 - 2603. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. G. Stevenson, J. P. Simas, and S. Efstathiou Immune control of mammalian gamma-herpesviruses: lessons from murid herpesvirus-4 J. Gen. Virol., October 1, 2009; 90(10): 2317 - 2330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. B. Gill, D. E. Wright, C. M. Smith, J. S. May, and P. G. Stevenson Murid herpesvirus-4 lacking thymidine kinase reveals route-dependent requirements for host colonization J. Gen. Virol., June 1, 2009; 90(6): 1461 - 1470. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]