RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Takase-Yoden, Sayaka A1 Watanabe, RihitoYR 2001 T1 Distribution of ecotropic retrovirus receptor protein in rat brains detected by immunohistochemistry JF Journal of General Virology, VO 82 IS 8 SP 1815 OP 1820 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-82-8-1815 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Friend murine leukaemia virus (FrMLV) FrC6 clone A8 causes spongiform degeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) of newborn but not 3-week-old rats. To assess whether expression of the ecotropic MLV receptor (CAT-1) in the CNS correlates with the pathogenicity of the A8 virus, we generated an anti-CAT-1 antibody raised against a synthetic peptide that corresponds to the carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequence of CAT-1. In the CNS of newborn and 3 to 4-week-old rats, a strong immunoreactivity against the antibody was detected in most of the endothelial cells. However, almost no expression of CAT-1 was detected in the CNS of 21-week-old rats. In newborn rats, many parenchymal cells in the brain as well as the vascular wall expressed CAT-1 antigen. These findings suggest that retrovirus receptor-bearing glial cells contribute to the neuropathogenesis of MLV, including clone A8, which induces spongiosis in rats only when inoculated into newborns., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-82-8-1815