Hochschulschrift:
Dissertation, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät der Universität Greifswald, 2021
Anmerkungen:
Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 105-117, Literaturangaben
Text deutsch, Publikationen englisch
Beschreibung:
Previous studies of rabies virus (RABV) pathogenicity determinants were implemented with lab adapted or attenuated viruses. It is unclear, if so far analyzed factors are also relevant for highly virulent RABV field viruses. Here, a systemic comparison in vivo of fixed and field viruses, revealed the ability to infect immunocompetent neuroglia in the central nervous system (CNS) as a possible pathogenicity determinant. Furthermore, for the first time Schwann cell (SC) neuroglia of peripheral nerves were identified as target cells for RABV infection. A modern 3D imaging technique was used to analyze RABV infected tissues. Brains from experimental infected mice and ferrets were stained by immunofluorescence, followed by optical clearing, as described in publication 1, and analyzed with a high-resolution confocal laser scan microscope. RABV N and P protein were visualized three-dimensional in spatial proximity to hosts cellular structures. The results demonstrated the specific suitability of this technique to identify single target structures, wherefore the technique was used for following analysis in CNS and peripheral nervous system (PNS). RABV cell tropism was investigated as presumably pathogenicity determinant in publication 2. Field RABV from dog (rRABV dog), fox (rRABV fox) and raccoon (rRABV rac) were able to infect non-neuronal cells, like astrocytes, in the CNS in contrast to lab adapted viruses (rCVS-11, SAD L16 and ERA). The amount of infected astrocytes after intra ...