concanavalin-a and Cardiovirus-Infections

Viruses use various mechanisms to evade clearance by the host. Investigating how a few changes in the genome of a non-lethal virus can lead to altered disease, from survivable to immunosuppression/death, would provide valuable information into viral pathogenesis. The Daniels strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus causes an asymptomatic infection or acute encephalitis followed by viral clearance. A mutant, H101, carries several alterations in the viral genome. H101 infection causes profound immunosuppression and death. Thus, a virus that is normally cleared by its natural host can become lethal due to just a few changes in the viral genome.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, CD; Cardiovirus Infections; Cell Proliferation; Concanavalin A; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Female; Freund's Adjuvant; Immunosuppression Therapy; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mutation; Myelin Proteolipid Protein; Peptide Fragments; Phycocyanin; Spleen; Theilovirus; Time Factors