In vivo depletion of CD8+ T cells prevents lesions of demyelination in Semliki Forest virus infection

Blood-brain barrier breakdown and increased intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1/CD54) expression after Semliki Forest (A7) virus infection facilitates the development of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

This report describes two mechanisms by which virus infection can facilitate demyelinating autoimmune inflammation in the murine CNS. In the BALB/c mouse model of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), peripheral infection with an avirulent strain (A7) of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) increased the morbidity to EAE by infecting endothelial cells and damaging the blood-brain barrier (BBB). An influx of hematogenous CD18+ (LFA-1+ and MAC-1+) cells into the CNS compartment was followed by a local increase in intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression on the vascular endothelium. Although SFV A7 infection without EAE induction caused multifocal cerebral vascular endothelial cell infection and BBB damage followed by cellular infiltration and transient increase of ICAM-1, inflammation and demyelination of CNS white matter with classical clinical signs of EAE was observed only in EAE-induced BALB/c mice, whereas the control mice remained neurologically healthy. The upregulation of ICAM-1 after virus infection was detected after the CD18+ (LFA-1+ and MAC-1+) cells had infiltrated the CNS both after EAE induction and also in nonsensitized control mice. The observed increase in ICAM-1 expression was transient in nonsensitized SFV A7 infected mice just as in the cellular infiltrates in the CNS, but EAE induction resulted in prolongation in both the cellular infiltrates and upregulation of ICAM-1. Thus, SFV A7 infection causes BBB damage and prolongs increased ICAM-1 expression on brain endothelium. This results in increased and more rapid morbidity to EAE in mice which have been sensitized with neuroantigen. However, SFV A7-infected mice without neuroantigen sensitization remain neurologically healthy.

The alphaviruses: gene expression, replication, and evolution

The alphaviruses are a genus of 26 enveloped viruses that cause disease in humans and domestic animals. Mosquitoes or other hematophagous arthropods serve as vectors for these viruses. The complete sequences of the +/- 11.7-kb plus-strand RNA genomes of eight alphaviruses have been determined, and partial sequences are known for several others; this has made possible evolutionary comparisons between different alphaviruses as well as comparisons of this group of viruses with other animal and plant viruses. Full-length cDNA clones from which infectious RNA can be recovered have been constructed for four alphaviruses; these clones have facilitated many molecular genetic studies as well as the development of these viruses as expression vectors. From these and studies involving biochemical approaches, many details of the replication cycle of the alphaviruses are known. The interactions of the viruses with host cells and host organisms have been exclusively studied, and the molecular basis of virulence and recovery from viral infection have been addressed in a large number of recent papers. The structure of the viruses has been determined to about 2.5 nm, making them the best-characterized enveloped virus to date. Because of the wealth of data that has appeared, these viruses represent a well-characterized system that tell us much about the evolution of RNA viruses, their replication, and their interactions with their hosts. This review summarizes our current knowledge of this group of viruses.

The alphaviruses: gene expression, replication, and evolution

The alphaviruses are a genus of 26 enveloped viruses that cause disease in humans and domestic animals. Mosquitoes or other hematophagous arthropods serve as vectors for these viruses. The complete sequences of the +/- 11.7-kb plus-strand RNA genomes of eight alphaviruses have been determined, and partial sequences are known for several others; this has made possible evolutionary comparisons between different alphaviruses as well as comparisons of this group of viruses with other animal and plant viruses. Full-length cDNA clones from which infectious RNA can be recovered have been constructed for four alphaviruses; these clones have facilitated many molecular genetic studies as well as the development of these viruses as expression vectors. From these and studies involving biochemical approaches, many details of the replication cycle of the alphaviruses are known. The interactions of the viruses with host cells and host organisms have been exclusively studied, and the molecular basis of virulence and recovery from viral infection have been addressed in a large number of recent papers. The structure of the viruses has been determined to about 2.5 nm, making them the best-characterized enveloped virus to date. Because of the wealth of data that has appeared, these viruses represent a well-characterized system that tell us much about the evolution of RNA viruses, their replication, and their interactions with their hosts. This review summarizes our current knowledge of this group of viruses.