Visualization of Borna Disease Virus Protein Interactions with Host Proteins using in situ Proximity Ligation Assay
Visualization of Borna Disease Virus Protein Interactions with Host Proteins using in situ Proximity Ligation Assay
Jonas Johansson Wensman1*a, Karl-Johan Leuchowius2,3 a, Jiting Yan1, Anna-Lena Berg4, Liv Bode5, Hanns Ludwig5, Sandor Belak6, Ulf Landegren2, Ola Soderberg2, Mikael Berg6
ABSTRACT
Borna disease virus type 1 (BDV) comprises highly conserved neurotropic non-segmented negative strand RNA-virus variants causing neurological and behavioral disorders in a wide range of mammalian animals, possibly including humans. Viral persistence in the brain has been frequently observed, however, the exact mechanisms behind BDV’s ability to establish persistence despite a prominent immune response are not known. Here we have used in situ proximity ligation assay (in situ PLA), a selective tool for studying virus-host protein-protein interactions. BDV P (phosphoprotein) and N (nucleoprotein) have previously been reported to interact with several host proteins, thereby interfering with various signaling pathways. In this study, we focused on some of these interactions (BDV P-HMGB1, BDV N/P-Cdc2). First, we used rat glioma cell cultures persistently infected with a laboratory strain of BDV (C6BV ) to establish the assay. Next, in situ PLA was applied to detect BDV P in brain tissues of infected animals. Finally, protein-protein interactions were visualized in both C6BV and brain tissues of experimentally as well as naturally infected animals (rat and horse, respectively). BDV proteins and their interactions with host proteins could be shown in cell cultures (HMGB1, Cdc2) and in brain tissues of rat (HMGB1, Cdc2) and horse (Cdc2 only) infected with BDV. In this study, we have for the rst time directly visualized protein-protein interactions between BDV and its host, and thereby con rmed previous data to demonstrate ndings in cell cultures to be applicable also in experimentally and naturally infected animals.
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