Nectin 4 is the epithelial cell receptor for measles virus

Measles virus (MV) causes acute respiratory disease, infects lymphocytes and multiple organs, and produces immune suppression leading to secondary infections. In rare instances it can also cause persistent infections in the brain and central nervous system. Vaccine and laboratory-adapted strains of MV use CD46 as a receptor, whereas wild-type strains of MV (wtMV) cannot. Both vaccine and wtMV strains infect lymphocytes, monocytes, and dendritic cells (DCs) using the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (CD150/SLAM). In addition, MV can infect the airway epithelial cells of the host. Nectin 4 (PVRL4) was recently identified as the epithelial cell receptor for MV. Coupled with recent observations made in MV-infected macaques, this discovery has led to a new paradigm for how the virus accesses the respiratory tract and exits the host. Nectin 4 is also a tumor cell marker which is highly expressed on the apical surface of many adenocarcinoma cell lines, making it a potential target for MV oncolytic therapy.     

Disease duration determines canine distemper virus neurovirulence

The Morbillivirus hemagglutinin (H) protein mediates attachment to the target cell. To evaluate its contribution to canine distemper virus neurovirulence, we exchanged the H proteins of the wild-type strains 5804P and A75 and assessed the pathogenesis of the chimeric viruses in ferrets. Both strains are lethal to ferrets; however, 5804P causes a 2-week disease without neurological signs, whereas A75 is associated with a longer disease course and neurological involvement. We observed that both H proteins supported neuroinvasion and the subsequent development of clinical neurological signs if given enough time, demonstrating that disease duration is the main neurovirulence determinant.     

Reversion of neurovirulence and in vitro phenotype of neural cell-adapted canine distemper virus after passage in non-neural cells

The stability of neurovirulence and in vitro phenotypes of canine distemper viruses adapted to neural cells was examined. Neurovirulence was estimated by the morbidity, mortality, and histopathological changes in the central nervous system of mice. After a single passage of the adapted viruses in Vero cells in which the unadapted virus had been passed, the neurovirulence of glioblastoma-adapted and oligodendroglioma-adapted viruses reverted completely to that of the unadapted virus. However, the neurovirulence of a neuroblastoma-adapted virus reverted partially. In vitro phenotypes such as the two-dimensional electrophoretic patterns of viral proteins and the cross-neutralization patterns also reverted to those of the unadapted virus. However, plaque sizes remained similar to those of the viruses adapted to neural cells.     

Canine distemper virus epithelial cell infection is required for clinical disease but not for immunosuppression

To characterize the importance of infection of epithelial cells for morbillivirus pathogenesis, we took advantage of the severe disease caused by canine distemper virus (CDV) in ferrets. To obtain a CDV that was unable to enter epithelial cells but retained the ability to enter immune cells, we transferred to its attachment (H) protein two mutations shown to interfere with the interaction of measles virus H with its epithelial receptor, human nectin-4. As expected for an epithelial receptor (EpR)-blind CDV, this virus infected dog and ferret epithelial cells inefficiently and did not cause cell fusion or syncytium formation. On the other hand, the EpR-blind CDV replicated in cells expressing canine signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM), the morbillivirus immune cell receptor, with similar kinetics to those of wild-type CDV. While ferrets infected with wild-type CDV died within 12 days after infection, after developing severe rash and fever, animals infected with the EpR-blind virus showed no clinical signs of disease. Nevertheless, both viruses spread rapidly and efficiently in immune cells, causing similar levels of leukopenia and inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation activity, two indicators of morbillivirus immunosuppression. Infection was documented for airway epithelia of ferrets infected with wild-type CDV but not for those of animals infected with the EpR-blind virus, and only animals infected with wild-type CDV shed virus. Thus, epithelial cell infection is necessary for clinical disease and efficient virus shedding but not for immunosuppression.     

Mesenchymal to epithelial transition driven by canine distemper virus infection of canine histiocytic sarcoma cells contributes to a reduced cell motility in vitro

Sarcomas especially of histiocytic origin often possess a poor prognosis and response to conventional therapies. Interestingly, tumours undergoing mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) are often associated with a favourable clinical outcome. This process is characterized by an increased expression of epithelial markers leading to a decreased invasion and metastatic rate. Based on the failure of conventional therapies, viral oncolysis might represent a promising alternative with canine distemper virus (CDV) as a possible candidate. This study hypothesizes that a CDV infection of canine histiocytic sarcoma cells (DH82 cells) triggers the MET process leading to a decreased cellular motility. Immunofluorescence and immunoblotting were used to investigate the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers followed by scratch assay and an invasion assay as functional confirmation. Furthermore, microarray data were analysed for genes associated with the MET process, invasion and angiogenesis. CDV‐infected cells exhibited an increased expression of epithelial markers such as E‐cadherin and cytokeratin 8 compared to controls, indicating a MET process. This was accompanied by a reduced cell motility and invasiveness. Summarized, these results suggest that CDV infection of DH82 cells triggers the MET process by an increased expression of epithelial markers resulting in a decreased cell motility in vitro.     

A new plaque system for canine distemper: characteristics of the green strain of canine distemper virus.

A Vero cell adapted Green strain of canine distemper virus (CDV) was tested for its plaque-forming capacity in different cell lines. Plaque formation was observed in HEp-2, BS-C-1, and HeLa cells but not in Vero or dog kidney cells even though replication and cytopathology were observed in the latter cell types. In the cells in which the virus was capable of producing plaques, the plaques were observed within 24 h post infection and continued to increase in size with subsequent cellular destruction such that by 72 h postinfection the size of the plaques approached 0.5 mm. With the use of the plaquing technique, it was possible to demonstrate the thermal lability of the virus as well as the kinetics of adsorption. Thus, it was shown that the half-life of the virus was 125 min at 25 degrees C, 75 min at 35 degrees C, and 65 min at 37 degrees C. The rate of adsorption of CDV to HEp-2 cells was 17.2% in 30 min at 37 degrees C and continued slowly for 4 h before completion. Application of this rapid plaque-forming assay to plaque-reduction tests for CDV antibody and for CDV-infected cells by the infectious center assay are described.     

犬瘟热病毒CDV-3株感染性克隆的构建与鉴定

以国内商品化水貂犬瘟热病毒疫苗所用毒株CDV-3为模板,构建犬瘟热病毒感染性cDNA克隆,为犬瘟热病毒新型疫苗研制、致病机理研究提供理论基础.设计13对引物对其全基因组序列测定,分析单一酶切位点,将CDV-3的全长分5个片段进行RT-PCR扩增.经酶切拼接,将5个片段顺次插入到酶切位点改造后的真核载体pcDNA3.2的...     

Nectin: an adhesion molecule involved in formation of synapses

The nectin-afadin system is a novel cell-cell adhesion system that organizes adherens junctions cooperatively with the cadherin-catenin system in epithelial cells. Nectin is an immunoglobulin-like adhesion molecule, and afadin is an actin filament-binding protein that connects nectin to the actin cytoskeleton. Nectin has four isoforms (-1, -2, -3, and -4). Each nectin forms a homo-cis-dimer followed by formation of a homo-trans-dimer, but nectin-3 furthermore forms a hetero-trans-dimer with nectin-1 or -2, and the formation of each hetero-trans-dimer is stronger than that of each homo-trans-dimer. We show here that at the synapses between the mossy fiber terminals and dendrites of pyramidal cells in the CA3 area of adult mouse hippocampus, the nectin-afadin system colocalizes with the cadherin-catenin system, and nectin-1 and -3 asymmetrically localize at the pre- and postsynaptic sides of puncta adherentia junctions, respectively. During development, nectin-1 and -3 asymmetrically localize not only at puncta adherentia junctions but also at synaptic junctions. Inhibition of the nectin-based adhesion by an inhibitor of nectin-1 in cultured rat hippocampal neurons results in a decrease in synapse size and a concomitant increase in synapse number. These results indicate an important role of the nectin-afadin system in the formation of synapses.     

Neurovirulence in mice of neural cell-adapted canine distemper virus

Neurovirulence of the Onderstepoort strain of canine distemper virus (CDV) adapted to human neural cell lines was determined by the intracerebral inoculation of DDD mice at 3 and 5 weeks of age. Intensity of neurovirulence was estimated by histopathological changes in the central nervous system and clinical symptoms. The original virus propagated in Vero cells induced leptomeningoencephalitis, whereas neuroblastoma-adapted virus induced nerve cell degeneration and mild encephalitis with relatively low morbidity and fatality. In contrast, the viruses adapted to glioblastoma and oligodendroglioma caused high morbidity and fatality. The latter two viruses induced necrotizing encephalopathy including edema and hyperemia. In addition, the glioblastoma-adapted virus induced formation of giant cells. The oligodendroglioma-adapted virus caused demyelination and spongy state associated with degeneration of glial cells and axons. These observations are discussed in regard to a possible correlation between the neurovirulence of CDV in mice and its tropism for neural cells in vitro.     

Encephalomyelitis induced by canine distemper virus in non-human primates.

A strain of canine distemper virus was shown to be highly neuro-virulent in non-human primates. Intracerebral inoculation induced in monkeys histological lesions of encephalomyelitis, i.e., degenerative changes consisting mainly of neuronal damage and inflammatory changes such as perivascular cuffings and glial proliferation, in wide areas in the brain and spinal cord. In one monkey observed for 70 days, lesions with a tendency of subacute sclerosing were also noticed. Immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide or antithymocyte serum was found to aggravate the clinical course and to modify the histological lesions in the central nervous system as well as the level of antibody response to the virus in cerebrospinal fluid. Possible application of distemper encephalomyelitis in monkeys as a primate model for analysis of the immune mechanism involved in paramyxovirus-induced encephalomyelitis was discussed.     

稳定表达貉犬瘟热病毒细胞受体SLAM的Vero细胞系的建立及应用

[目的]信号淋巴激活分子(SLAM又称CD150)为犬瘟热病毒(Canine distemper virus,CDV)的细胞受体.本研究目的在于建立稳定表达犬瘟热易感动物貉SLAM基因的Vero细胞系,用于犬瘟热诊断及CDV强毒株的快速分离.[方法]从重组质粒pMD-18-T-rSLAM扩增rSLAM基因编码区,通过分子克隆技术构建真核表达质粒pIRES2-EGFP-rSLAMhis.将该质粒转染Vero细胞后,经EGFP荧光观察、G418抗性压力和单细胞克隆化及RT-PCR筛选表达rSLAM阳性细胞系.应用获得细胞系对临床犬瘟热病例进行病毒分离,对分离得到CDV进行RT-PCR鉴定及动物回归试验.[结果]经过RT-PCR和免疫组化试验证实,本实验筛选获得一株能稳定表达rSLAM的Vero细胞系——Vero-rSLAM.该细胞系接种CDV阳性样品36-48h即可产生典型CDV致细胞融合病变,而其亲本Vero细胞接种至6d均无可见细胞病变出现.应用Vero-rSLAM细胞系从狐狸、貉犬瘟热阳性病料中分离获得了3株犬瘟热病毒.其中犬瘟热病毒LN(10) f1株对易感狐狸、貉均可产生致死性感染.[结论]成功建立了稳定表达rSLAM的Vero细胞系,用它分离的CDV对本动物保持较强的毒力.     

Propagation of Asian isolates of canine distemper virus (CDV) in hamster cell lines

Backgrounds  

The aim of this study was to confirm the propagation of various canine distemper viruses (CDV) in hamster cell lines of HmLu and BHK, since only a little is known about the possibility of propagation of CDV in rodent cells irrespective of their epidemiological importance.     

Encephalitis induced by a canine distemper virus in squirrel monkeys

Intracerebral inoculation with canine distemper virus (CDV) caused acute neurological signs of viral encephalitis in squirrel monkeys. Electroencephalogram revealed an abnormal sharp wave and seizure discharges resembling those of epilepsy. There was parenchymal inflammation, perivascular cuffs, neuronal degeneration, and glial reactions. Virus antigen was detected immunohistologically in the neurons and ependymal cells. Thus, CDV infection in squirrel monkeys provides an animal model for viral encephalitis and epilepsy.