Pathogenesis of coxsackievirus A9 in mice: role of the viral arginine-glycine-aspartic acid motif




AuthorsHarvala H, Kalimo H, Stanway G, Hyypiä T

Publication year2003

JournalJournal of General Virology

Journal name in sourceThe Journal of general virology

Journal acronymJ Gen Virol

Volume84

IssuePt 9

First page 2375

Last page2379

ISSN0022-1317

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.19246-0


Abstract
Coxsackievirus A9 (CAV9) contains an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif which participates in cell entry. Mutants with alterations in the RGD-containing region were utilized to explore the importance of the tripeptide in the pathogenesis of CAV9 in mice. Using in situ hybridization, the parental CAV9 strain was observed to infect skeletal muscle (intercostal, platysma, lingual and thigh muscles) of newborn mice, whereas the RGD-less mutants were detectable only in platysma and lingual muscles. In addition, newborn mice infected with the mutants survived longer than CAV9-infected mice. In adult mice, the parental strain of CAV9, but not the mutants, achieved moderately high titres in the pancreas. These results suggest that the RGD motif has a significant role in the pathogenesis of CAV9 in mice but also that RGD-independent entry routes can be utilized in the infection of murine tissue.



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