Wild-type equine infectious anemia virus replicates in vivo predominantly in tissue macrophages, not in peripheral blood monocytes.
Abstract: In situ hybridization of tissues from two horses infected with the wild-type Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) identified the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, kidney, lung, and adrenal gland as the primary host tissue sites for viral transcription during acute infection. Combined immunohistochemistry, with a monoclonal antibody recognizing a cytoplasmic antigen of equine mononuclear phagocytes, and in situ hybridization for viral RNA identified most infected cells as mature tissue macrophages. In contrast, in situ hybridization of adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from horses on various days during the first 2 weeks postinfection with the Wyoming strain of EIAV failed to detect any viral RNA in these cells. For the two horses described here, serum reverse transcriptase activity correlated directly with the degree of replication detected in tissue macrophages on the day of sacrifice. These results suggest that unlike other lentivirus infections in which mature tissue macrophages accumulate cytoplasmic viral RNA to a high level but fail to produce infectious virions, mature tissue macrophages are the likely primary source of the high titer of viremia present during acute infection with EIAV. No significant posttranscriptional block of viral replication in tissue macrophages appears to occur with EIAV.
Publication Date: 1992-10-01 PubMed ID: 1382143PubMed Central: PMC241467DOI: 10.1128/JVI.66.10.5906-5913.1992Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research investigates how the wild-type Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) primarily replicates in certain tissue macrophages, rather than peripheral blood monocytes, in horses during acute infection.
Primary Host Tissue Sites of Viral Transcription
- The study performed in situ hybridization of tissues from two horses infected with the wild-type Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV).
- It identified the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, kidney, lung, and adrenal gland as the main tissues where the virus transcribes during acute infection.
Identification of the Infected Cells
- Utilizing combined immunohistochemistry with in situ hybridization for viral RNA, the researchers identified most infected cells as mature tissue macrophages.
- A monoclonal antibody was used, which recognizes a cytoplasmic antigen of equine mononuclear phagocytes, to further identify and associate the infected cells to the mature tissue macrophages.
The role of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in viral replication
- In contrast to the prominent replication in tissue macrophages, there was no detection of viral RNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from the horses during the first 2 weeks of infection with the Wyoming strain of EIAV.
- This finding indicates that the peripheral blood monocytes do not majorly contribute to the acute-phase viral replication.
Correlation between serum reverse transcriptase activity and viral replication in tissue macrophages
- The study found a direct correlation between the degree of replication detected in tissue macrophages and serum reverse transcriptase activity, which is an enzyme essential for the replication of retroviruses like EIAV.
- On the day the horses were sacrificed, the serum reverse transcriptase activity was directly proportional to the level of viral replication in tissue macrophages.
Significance of the Findings for Understanding of Lentivirus Infections
- These results deviate from the typical understanding of other lentivirus infections, where mature tissue macrophages accumulate viral RNA at a high level but do not produce infectious viruses.
- Instead, in the case of EIAV, mature tissue macrophages appear to be the predominant source of the high titer of the virus present during acute infection.
- Interestingly, the results indicate no significant posttranscriptional block of viral replication in tissue macrophages with EIAV, suggesting a unique replication mechanism unlike other lentiviruses.
Cite This Article
APA
Sellon DC, Perry ST, Coggins L, Fuller FJ.
(1992).
Wild-type equine infectious anemia virus replicates in vivo predominantly in tissue macrophages, not in peripheral blood monocytes.
J Virol, 66(10), 5906-5913.
https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.66.10.5906-5913.1992 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh 27606.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses
- Immunohistochemistry
- Infectious Anemia Virus, Equine / physiology
- Macrophages / microbiology
- Monocytes / microbiology
- Nucleic Acid Hybridization
- Plasmids
- RNA, Viral / metabolism
- RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / blood
- Virus Replication
Grant Funding
- 1K11-AI00963 / NIAID NIH HHS
- R01-AI24904 / NIAID NIH HHS
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