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Isolation, Identification, and Purification of Murine Thymic Epithelial Cells
Published on: August 8, 2014
Can thymic epithelial cells be infected by human T-lymphotropic virus type 1?
Klaysa Moreira-Ramos1, Flávia Madeira Monteiro de Castro, Leandra Linhares-Lacerda
1Laboratório de Pesquisas sobre o Timo, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
|October 21, 2011
Summary
Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) can infect thymic epithelial cells (TECs). This study demonstrates TECs are susceptible to HTLV-1 infection via cell contact or virus-containing media.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.
- Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) express receptors for HTLV-1, suggesting they could be a viral target.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the susceptibility of human TECs to HTLV-1 infection in vitro.
- To determine the mechanisms of HTLV-1 infection in TECs.
Main Methods:
- Development of an in vitro co-culture system with HTLV-1-infected T cells and human TECs.
- Detection of viral proteins (gp46, p19) and integrated viral DNA (tax gene) in TECs.
- Incubation of TECs with HTLV-1-infected T cell culture supernatants.
Main Results:
- HTLV-1-infected T cells adhered to TECs.
- Viral proteins gp46 and p19 were detected in TECs within 24 hours of co-culture.
- Exposure to HTLV-1-containing supernatants resulted in gp46 detection on TEC membranes and HTLV-1 tax gene integration into the TEC genome.
- Human thymic epithelium demonstrated susceptibility to HTLV-1 infection in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Human thymic epithelial cells are susceptible to HTLV-1 infection.
- HTLV-1 can infect TECs through both direct cell-to-cell contact and exposure to virus-containing media.
- These findings suggest a potential role for TECs in HTLV-1 pathogenesis.
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