[Induction of apoptosis in murine cytomegalovirus infection]

Cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection is associated with several of lymphocyte dysfunction, as well as bone marrow dysfunction, but the precise mechanisms of the dysfunction are still unclear. Splenic T cells of murine CMV (MCMV)-infected mice contained a higher percentage of hypodiploid nuclei and a higher amount of fragmented DNA than those of naive mice, indicating that infection with MCMV induced the apoptotic cell death of T cells. Fas-dependent as well as Fas-independent pathways were suggested to be involved in this induction of apoptosis. Bone marrow cells, especially mature granulocytes in bone marrow, also showed evidence of apoptotic cell death after infection. Involvement of tumor necrotic factor-alpha, but not of Fas, was suggested in the induction of apoptosis of bone marrow cells.