Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is distinctive among lentiviral diseases in that infected horses often develop lifelong subclinical infectious following initial disease episodes. Thus, EIA provides opportunity to study host-virus interactions in a persistent lentiviral infection in which disease is successfully controlled by the host. The reservoirs of EIAV during subclinical infection are not known. Viral DNA, detected by the in situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR), will be used as a marker for infected cells during asymptomatic infection, and these cells will be identified using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for cell-specific antigens. Latency in these cells will be determined using IHC to demonstrate the absence of viral capsid protein. The absence of mRNA in infected cells will constitute evidence of gene restriction at the level of transcription. This data will help characterize the relationship between tropism, viral replication, and the expression of clinical disease, and provide the basis for more specific experiments that examine control mechanisms in EIA.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Physician Scientist Award (K11)
Project #
1K11AI001255-01
Application #
2057472
Study Section
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases B Subcommittee (MID)
Project Start
1994-09-01
Project End
1997-08-31
Budget Start
1994-09-01
Budget End
1995-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington State University
Department
Veterinary Sciences
Type
Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS #
041485301
City
Pullman
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
99164
Oaks, J L; Ulibarri, C; Crawford, T B (1999) Endothelial cell infection in vivo by equine infectious anaemia virus. J Gen Virol 80 ( Pt 9):2393-7
Zhang, W; Auyong, D B; Oaks, J L et al. (1999) Natural variation of equine infectious anemia virus Gag protein cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes. Virology 261:242-52
Maury, W; Oaks, J L; Bradley, S (1998) Equine endothelial cells support productive infection of equine infectious anemia virus. J Virol 72:9291-7