Ovine fetal immune response to Cache Valley virus infection. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Cache Valley virus (CVV)-induced malformations have been previously reproduced in ovine fetuses. To evaluate the development of the antiviral response by the early, infected fetus, before the development of immunocompetency, ovine fetuses at 35 days of gestation were inoculated in utero with CVV and euthanized at 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days postinfection. The antiviral immune response in immature fetuses infected with CVV was evaluated. Gene expression associated with an innate, immune response was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. The upregulated genes in infected fetuses included ISG15, Mx1, Mx2, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-, TLR-7, and TLR-8. The amount of Mx1 protein, an interferon-stimulated GTPase capable of restricting growth of bunyaviruses, was elevated in the allantoic and amniotic fluid in infected fetuses. ISG15 protein expression was significantly increased in target tissues of infected animals. B lymphocytes and immunoglobulin-positive cells were detected in lymphoid tissues and in the meninges of infected animals. These results demonstrated that the infected ovine fetus is able to initiate an innate and adaptive immune response much earlier than previously known, which presumably contributes to viral clearance in infected animals.

published proceedings

  • J Virol

author list (cited authors)

  • Rodrigues Hoffmann, A., Dorniak, P., Filant, J., Dunlap, K. A., Bazer, F. W., de la Concha-Bermejillo, A., ... Edwards, J. F.

citation count

  • 22

complete list of authors

  • Rodrigues Hoffmann, Aline||Dorniak, Piotr||Filant, Justyna||Dunlap, Kathrin A||Bazer, Fuller W||de la Concha-Bermejillo, Andres||Welsh, Christabel Jane||Varner, Patricia||Edwards, John Francis

publication date

  • May 2013