Axonal transport of Borna disease virus along olfactory pathways in spontaneously and experimentally infected rats

Abstract

In this study it has been shown that infection of mother rats by Borna disease virus (BDV) from infected newborns led to a fatal disease. This differed both in clinical symptoms and in histological alterations from the form of the disease which occurred after intracerebral (i.c.) infection. Both parameters were, however, similar to those seen after experimental intranasal (i.n.) infection of adult rats. Detailed immunohistological studies showed clearly that after experimental i.n. infection, the infecting virus migrates intraaxonally from the neuroreceptors in the olfactory epithelium into the brain. It is therefore suggested that i.n. transmission is an important route of natural BDV infection.

Antigenic relationship and further characterization of two major Borna disease virus-specific proteins

“…Strict neurotropism of the causative virus has been demonstrated in vivo (Narayan et al, 1983b;Morales et al, 1988;Carbone et aL, 1989), which is paralleled by the in vitro finding that cells of neural origin can be easily infected (Herzog & Rott, 1980). However, after cocultivation several cell types of nonneural origin produce infectious virus and express virusspecific proteins (Herzog & Rott, 1980;Duchala et al, 1989).…”

Epidemiology and host spectrum of Borna disease virus infections

“…(Johansson et al, 2002;Katz et al, 1998). Overall, the serological response is stronger in experimentally infected than in naturally infected animals, although it is not constantly detected in either animal group (Morales et al, 1988;Herzog et al, 1991;Rubin et al, 1993;Johansson et al, 2002). As BDV antibodies can only be found in the sera of 30-40 % of verified, infected animals, seroprevalences are clearly an underestimate of the existing BDV infections.…”

T cell memory specific for self and non-self antigens in rats persistently infected with Borna disease virus

“…Lewis rals were infected with the Giessen strain He/80 of BDV by inlranasal application, which most closely mimics the naturally occurring infection route [14], After the onset ofthe acute phase of disease, characterized by ataxia, fearfulness, hyperactivity and sometimes paralysis, the animals were killed at various intervals and single-cell suspensions from spleens were tesled in pritnary reslimulation assays for responsiveness to virus proieins and myelin proteins. Peripheral lymphocytes isolated from animals 25 days post infectionem displayed a detectable proliferalive response against nol only viral proteins.…”