Immunity to rotavirus in T cell deficient mice.

Abstract

Rotavirus infection was studied in adult nude mice (BALB/c background), alpha beta or gamma delta and alpha beta/gamma delta T cell receptor (TCR) knockout (-/-) mice (C57BL/6 and C57BL/6 x 129 backgrounds), and SCID mice (C57BL/6 background). The gamma delta TCR -/- mice cleared infection just like control mice. All of the nude mice, alpha beta, and alpha beta/gamma delta TCR -/- mice cleared primary rotavirus infection, with a short delay, compared to immunocompetent control mice and developed a rotavirus-specific intestinal IgA measured by ELISA. Elispot analysis with spleen and lamina propia cells showed that the virus-specific intestinal IgA response in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice was similar to the gamma delta TCR -/- mice and 7- to 60-fold higher than in the alpha beta TCR -/- and alpha beta/gamma delta TCR -/- mice. Likewise, the response of nude +/- mice was 20 times greater than that of nude -/- littermates. While the intestinal IgA antibodies of C57BL/6 mice, gamma delta TCR -/- mice, and nude +/- mice recognized insect cells infected with recombinant baculovirus expressing rotavirus VP6 and VP4 proteins, those of the alpha beta TCR -/-, alpha beta/gamma delta TCR -/-, and nude -/- mice recognized only VP6. Immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice depleted of CD4+ T cell developed similar levels of rotavirus-specific intestinal IgA as the alpha beta TCR -/- mice, suggesting that this T cell-independent IgA response is present in normal mice. In contrast to previously published results with BALB/c SCID and RAG 2 -/- (C57BL/6 x 129 background) mice, all of which become chronically infected with murine rotavirus, 40% of the C57BL/6 SCID mice cleared primary rotavirus infection. These results suggest that both a T cell-independent antibody response and innate mechanisms can contribute to immunity to murine rotavirus and show that gamma delta T cells are not necessary for efficient clearance of primary rotavirus infection in mice.

• Authors: M A Franco, H B Greenberg
• Journal: Virology (Virology) Vol. 238 Issue 2 Pg. 169-79 (Nov 24 1997) ISSN: 0042-6822 [Print] United States
• PMID: 9400590 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Viral
• Antigens, Viral
• Capsid Proteins
• Immunoglobulin A
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
• VP6 protein, Rotavirus

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Viral (immunology)
• Antigens, Viral (immunology)
• Baculoviridae
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Capsid (immunology)
• Capsid Proteins
• Cell Line
• Immunity
• Immunoglobulin A (immunology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Knockout
• Mice, Nude
• Mice, SCID
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta (deficiency, immunology)
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta (deficiency, immunology)
• Rotavirus Infections (immunology, prevention & control)
• Spodoptera (cytology)
• T-Lymphocytes (immunology)