Apoptosis Inversely Correlates with Rabies Virus Neurotropism

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1010; no. 1; pp. 598 - 603
• Main Authors: THOULOUZE, MARIA-ISABEL, LAFAGE, MIREILLE, YUSTE, VICTOR J., KROEMER, GUIDO, SUSIN, SANTOS A., ISRAEL, NICOLE, LAFON, MONIQUE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2003; Wiley
• Subjects: AIF; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - physiology; Apoptosis Inducing Factor; Bcl-2; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Brain; Brain - virology; caspase; Caspases; Caspases - metabolism; Flavoproteins; Flavoproteins - metabolism; Humans; Jurkat Cells; Jurkat T cells; Life Sciences; live virus vaccine; Membrane Proteins; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Molecular biology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - genetics; Rabies virus; Rabies virus - pathogenicity
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1196/annals.1299.112

: We report that non‐neurotropic rabies virus (RV) strains, currently used to immunize wildlife against rabies, induces not only a caspase‐dependent apoptosis in the human lymphoblastoid Jurkat T cell line (Jurkat‐vect), but also a caspase‐independent pathway. Cell redistribution of the apoptosis‐inducing factor (AIF) was observed in Jurkat‐vect infected with RV vaccine strain. Bcl‐2 overproduction in Jurkat T cells (Jurkat‐Bcl‐2) abolished both caspase activation and AIF distribution. In contrast, strain of neurotropic RV did not induce apoptosis. The inverse correlation of the induction of apoptosis and the capacity of a virus strain to invade the brain suggests that blockage of apoptosis could be a strategy selected by neurotropic virus to favor its progression through the nervous system.