TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence for induction of interferon-α and interferon-β in retinal glial cells of Muller
AU - Drescher, Kristen M.
AU - Whittum-Hudson, Judith A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Drs. Paula Pitha-Rowe and Wei-Chun Au for the gifts of primers and plasmids for murine interferons and helpful discus- sions, Drs. Jerry L. Taylor, Robert A. Prendergast, Santa J. Ono, and Alan P. Hudson for critically reading the manuscript, Mrs. Irene Skop for editorial assistance, and Mr. Donnell Berry for cryosectioning of eyes used for in situ hybridization studies. This research was supported in part by Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., and grants from Fight for Sight Research Division of Prevent Blindness America (J.W.H.), Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research (K.D.), and PHS National Research Award 5T2 EY07047-14 (K.D.). These results were presented in part as posters at the 1995 meetings of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Association of Immunologists. Animals were treated in accordance with the NIH Guidelines for the Care of Laboratory Animals and the ARVO resolution on the Use of Animals in Research.
PY - 1997/8/4
Y1 - 1997/8/4
N2 - Studies were performed to determine if retinal glial cella of Muller transcribe the genes for interferon-α (IFNα) or IFNβ upon exposure to virus. Responses to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were tested with cultured murine Muller cells and, in vivo, with retinas obtained after bilateral injection of either HSV-1 or buffer into the anterior chamber of the eyes of BALB/c mice. Induction of IFN transcription and relative temporal changes in transcript levels occurred over time after either in vitro or in vive exposure to HSV-1. Transcription of both IFN genes was induced in cultured gila within 1 hr after exposure to virus. IFN transcripts were detected in retinas by 24 hr postinfection and these were maximal at 3 days. By in situ hybridization (ISH), IFNα2 mRNA localized to focal areas in the intact retinas of virus-injected eyes and was consistent with our previous report of a transient, focal appearance of viral antigens in those retinas. Uninfected cells and Ocular tissues were negative for IFN transcripts. Combined ISH and immunohistochemistry on retinal impression smears confirmed that glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive Muller cells are an intraretinal source of IFNα and IFNβ transcripts after ocular exposure to HSV-1. Our results support a role for Muller cells as participants in intraretinal antiviral or immunomodulatory responses via type 1 IFN production and may have implications for future therapeutic interventions.
AB - Studies were performed to determine if retinal glial cella of Muller transcribe the genes for interferon-α (IFNα) or IFNβ upon exposure to virus. Responses to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were tested with cultured murine Muller cells and, in vivo, with retinas obtained after bilateral injection of either HSV-1 or buffer into the anterior chamber of the eyes of BALB/c mice. Induction of IFN transcription and relative temporal changes in transcript levels occurred over time after either in vitro or in vive exposure to HSV-1. Transcription of both IFN genes was induced in cultured gila within 1 hr after exposure to virus. IFN transcripts were detected in retinas by 24 hr postinfection and these were maximal at 3 days. By in situ hybridization (ISH), IFNα2 mRNA localized to focal areas in the intact retinas of virus-injected eyes and was consistent with our previous report of a transient, focal appearance of viral antigens in those retinas. Uninfected cells and Ocular tissues were negative for IFN transcripts. Combined ISH and immunohistochemistry on retinal impression smears confirmed that glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive Muller cells are an intraretinal source of IFNα and IFNβ transcripts after ocular exposure to HSV-1. Our results support a role for Muller cells as participants in intraretinal antiviral or immunomodulatory responses via type 1 IFN production and may have implications for future therapeutic interventions.
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U2 - 10.1006/viro.1997.8661
DO - 10.1006/viro.1997.8661
M3 - Article
C2 - 9268163
AN - SCOPUS:0030799535
VL - 234
SP - 309
EP - 316
JO - Virology
JF - Virology
SN - 0042-6822
IS - 2
ER -