Archives of Virology

, Volume 132, Issue 1–2, pp 209–220 | Cite as

Molecular and biological characterization of new strains of murine cytomegalovirus isolated from wild mice

  • T. W. M. Booth
  • A. A. Scalzo
  • C. Carrello
  • P. A. Lyons
  • Helen E. Farrell
  • G. R. Singleton
  • G. R. Shellam
Brief Report
Received:
Accepted:

Summary

Studies of the prevalence of antibody to murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) in free-living wild mice (Mus domesticus) trapped in diverse regions of Australia and on a sub-Antarctic island indicated that 90% of 468 mice had serum antibody to MCMV. Twenty-six field isolates of MCMV were plaqu-epurified from salivary gland extracts of representative seropositive mice. These isolates varied considerably in their ability to replicate in the salivary glands of weanling BALB/c mice with 9 of 15 failing to reach significant titres in this organ and the titres of the remaining 6 strains varying by at least 100-fold. The high frequency of restriction fragment length polymorphisms observed suggests widespread genetic heterogeneity exists among the strains. This observation was mirrored at the polypeptide level by Western blot analyses with polyclonal antisera to MCMV. The isolation in this study of four genetically distinct strains of MCMV from a single wild mouse and several strains from other individual mice demonstrates that multiple infections with MCMV may be commonplace in wild mice.

Keywords

Salivary Gland Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Genetic Heterogeneity Serum Antibody Field Isolate 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    Ablashi DV, Balachandran N, Josephs SF, Hung CL, Krueger GRF, Kramarsky B, Salahuddin SZ, Gallo RC (1991) Genomic polymorphism, growth properties, and immunologic variations in human herpesvirus-6 isolates. Virology 184: 545–552Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Boname JM, Chantler JK (1992) Characterization of a strain of murine cytomegalovirus which fails to grow in the salivary glands of mice. J Gen Virol 73: 2021–2029Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    Brytting M, Wahlberg J, Lundeberg J, Wahren B, Uhlen M, Sundqvist V-A (1992) Variations in the cytomegalovirus major immediate-early gene found by direct genomic sequencing. J Clin Microbiol 30: 955–960Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    Chandler SH, McDougall JK (1986) Comparison of restriction site polymorphisms among clinical isolates and laboratory strains of human cytomegalovirus. J Gen Virol 67: 2179–2192Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    Darlington J, Super M, Patel K, Grundy JE, Griffiths PD, Emery VC (1991) Use of the polymerase chain reaction to analyse sequence variation within a major neutralizing epitope of glycoprotein B (gp 58) in clinical isolates of human cytomegalovirus. J Gen Virol 72: 1985–1989Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    Drew WL, Sweet ES, Miner RC, Mocarski ES (1984) Multiple infections by cytomegalovirus in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: documentation by Southern blot hybridization. J Infect Dis 150: 952–953Google Scholar
  7. 7.
    Ebeling A, Keil GM, Knust E, Koszinowski UH (1983) Molecular cloning and physical mapping of murine cytomegalovirus DNA. J Virol 47: 421–433Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Farrell HE, Shellam GR (1990) Characterization of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to murine cytomegalovirus. J Gen Virol 71: 655–664Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Gibson W (1981) Immediate-early proteins of human cytomegalovirus strains AD 169, Davis, and Towne differ in electrophoretic mobility. Virology 112: 350–354Google Scholar
  10. 10.
    Horimoto T, Limcumpao JA, Xuan X, Ono M, Maeda K, Kawaguchi Y, Kai C, Takahashi E, Mikami T (1992) Heterogeneity of feline herpesvirus type 1 strains. Arch Virol 126: 283–292Google Scholar
  11. 11.
    Hudson JB (1979) The murine cytomegalovirus as a model for the study of viral pathogenesis and persistent infection. Arch Virol 62: 1–29Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    Hudson JB, Walker DG, Altamirano M (1988) Analysis in vitro of two biologically distinct strains of murine cytomegalovirus. Arch Virol 102: 289–295Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    Jordan MC, Pomeroy C (1991) Latent CMV infection in the mouse. Transplant Proc 23 [Suppl 3]: 17–21Google Scholar
  14. 14.
    Laemmli VK (1970) Cleavage of structural protein during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T 4. Nature 227: 680–685Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    Lawson GM, Grundy JE, Shellam GR (1988) Antibody responses to murine cytomegalovirus in genetically resistant and susceptible strains of mice. J Gen Virol 69: 1987–1998Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    Lehner R, Stamminger T, Mach M (1991) Comparative sequence analysis of human cytomegalovirus strains. J Clin Microbiol 29: 2494–2502Google Scholar
  17. 17.
    Manning WC, Stoddart CA, Lagenaur LA, Abenes GB, Mocarski ES (1992) Cytomegalovirus determinant of replication in salivary glands. J Virol 66: 3794–3802Google Scholar
  18. 18.
    Misra V, Hudson JB (1980) Minor base sequence differences between the genomes of two strains of murine cytomegalovirus differing in virulence. Arch Virol 64: 1–8Google Scholar
  19. 19.
    Osborn JE, Walker DL (1970) Virulence and attenuation of murine cytomegalovirus. Infect Immun 3: 228–236Google Scholar
  20. 20.
    Rogers BC, Mundin J, Sissons JGP (1985) Monoclonal antibodies recognizing early and late antigens of human cytomegalovirus: heterogeneity of polypeptides recognized between virus isolates. J Gen Virol 66: 2045–2049Google Scholar
  21. 21.
    Singleton GR, Redhead TD (1990) Structure and biology of house mouse populations that plague irregularly: an evolutionary perspective. Biol J Linnean Soc 41: 285–300Google Scholar
  22. 22.
    Smith AL, Singleton GR, Hansen GM, Shellam GR (1993) A serosurvey for viruses of laboratory rodents andMycoplasma pulmonis among outbreaking and non-outbreaking populations of wild house mice (Mus domesticus) in southeastern Australia. J Wildl Dis (in press)Google Scholar
  23. 23.
    Spector SA, Hirata KK, Neuman TR (1984) Identification of multiple cytomegalovirus strains in homosexual men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. J Infect Dis 150: 953–956Google Scholar
  24. 24.
    Stazcek J (1990) Animal cytomegaloviruses. Microbiol Rev 54: 247–265Google Scholar
  25. 25.
    Towbin H, Staehelin T, Gordon J (1979) Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76: 4350–4354Google Scholar
  26. 26.
    Wyatt LS, Frenkel N (1992) Human herpesvirus-7 is a constitutive inhabitant of adult human saliva. J Virol 66: 3206–3209Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • T. W. M. Booth
    • 1
  • A. A. Scalzo
    • 1
  • C. Carrello
    • 1
  • P. A. Lyons
    • 1
  • Helen E. Farrell
    • 2
  • G. R. Singleton
    • 3
  • G. R. Shellam
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of Western AustraliaNedlandsAustralia
  2. 2.Division of Virology, Department of PathologyUniversity of CambridgeU.K.
  3. 3.Division of Wildlife and EcologyCSIROCanberraAustralia

Personalised recommendations