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Journal of Virology, February 2000, p. 1373-1382, Vol. 74, No. 3
INSERM U503, Immunobiologie Fondamentale et
Clinique, ENS de Lyon,1 and CNRS ESA
5020, Lyon,2 France
Received 29 July 1999/Accepted 1 November 1999
Measles virus (MV) infection causes acute childhood disease,
associated in certain cases with infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and development of neurological disease. To develop a
murine model of MV-induced pathology, we generated several lines of
transgenic mice ubiquitously expressing as the MV receptor a human CD46
molecule with either a Cyt1 or Cyt2 cytoplasmic tail. All transgenic
lines expressed CD46 protein in the brain. Newborn transgenic mice, in
contrast to nontransgenic controls, were highly sensitive to
intracerebral infection by the MV Edmonston strain. Signs of clinical
illness (lack of mobility, tremors, and weight loss) appeared within 5 to 7 days after infection, followed by seizures, paralysis, and death
of the infected animals. Virus replication was detected in neurons from
infected mice, and virus was reproducibly isolated from transgenic
brain tissue. MV-induced apoptosis observed in different brain regions
preceded the death of infected animals. Similar results were obtained
with mice expressing either a Cyt1 or Cyt2 cytoplasmic tail,
demonstrating the ability of different isoforms of CD46 to function as
MV receptors in vivo. In addition, maternally transferred immunity
delayed death of offspring given a lethal dose of MV. These results
document a novel CD46 transgenic murine model where MV neuronal
infection is associated with the production of infectious virus,
similarly to progressive infectious measles encephalitis seen in
immunocompromised patients, and provide a new means to study
pathogenesis of MV infection in the CNS.
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Productive Measles Virus Brain Infection and
Apoptosis in CD46 Transgenic Mice

*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: ENS de Lyon, 46 allee d'Italie, 69364 Lyon cedex 07, France. Phone: (33) 4 72 72 81 26. Fax: (33) 4 72 72 80 80. E-mail:
branka.horvat{at}ens-lyon.fr.
Permanent address: Department of Molecular Microbiology Institute
of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia.
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