Host cell nuclear involvement in an arenavirus infection was examined by immunofluorescence. Both polyclonal antisera and monoclonal antibodies specific for the major nucleocapsid (N) polypeptide revealed virus-specific nuclear inclusions in Pichinde virus-infected Vero cells. Immunoprecipitation of infected cell extracts with the anti-N monoclonal antibodies and subsequent analysis by SDS-PAGE, identified two N-related proteins with mol. wt. of 36000 (p36) and 28000 (p28) in addition to the N polypeptide. Only those monoclonal antibodies which precipitated p28 as well as N and p36 were found to produce nuclear as well as cytoplasmic fluorescence. These findings suggest that either the p28 protein itself or a conformational variant of N was the nuclear antigen detected.
AuperinD. D., RomanowskiV., GalinskiM., BishopD. H. L.1984; Sequencing studies of Pichinde arenavirus S RNA indicate a novel coding strategy, an ambisense viral S RNA. Journal of Virology 52:897–904
BuchmeierM. J., LewickiH. A., TomoriO., OldstoneM. B. A.1981; Monoclonal antibodies to lymphocytic choriomeningitis and Pichinde viruses: generation, characterization and cross-reactivity with other arenaviruses. Virology 113:73–85
ChanasA. C., YoungP. R., EllisD. S., MannG., StamfordS., HowardC. R.1980; Evaluation of plaque size reduction as a method for the detection of Pichinde virus antibody. Archives of Virology 65:157–167
DimockK., HarnishD. G., SissonG., LeungW-C., RawlsW. E.1982; Synthesis of virus-specific polypeptides and genomic RNA during the replicative cycle of Pichinde virus. Journal of Virology 43:273–283
FriedlanderA. M., JahrlingP. B., MerrillJ. P., ToberyS.1984; Inhibition of mouse peritoneal macrophage DNA synthesis by infection with the arenavirus Pichinde. Infection and Immunity 43:283–288
HowardC. R., BuchmeierM. J.1983; A protein kinase activity in lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and identification of the phosphorylated product using monoclonal antibody. Virology 126:538–547
LópezR., Franze-FernándezM. T.1985; Effect of Tacaribe virus infection on host cell protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Journal of General Virology 66:1753–1761
MimsC. A.1966; Immunofluorescence study of the carrier state and mechanisms of vertical transmission in LCM virus infection in mice. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology 91:395–402