International Mammalian Genome Society

E31 Viral Load and a Locus on Chromosome 11 Affect the Late Clinical Disease Caused by Theiler's Virus

Stéphanie Aubagnac, Michel Brahic, and Jean-François Bureau. Unité des Virus Lents, CNRS URA 1930, Institut Pasteur, 28, rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France

Theiler's virus causes a persistent infection and a demyelinating disease of mouse which is a model for multiple sclerosis. Susceptibility to viral persistence maps to several loci, including the interferon gamma locus. Inactivating the gene coding for the interferon gamma receptor makes 129/Sv mice susceptible to persistent infection and clinical disease whereas inactivating the interferon gamma gene makes C57BL/6 mice susceptible to persistent infection but not to clinical disease. This difference of phenotype is due to the difference of genetic background. Clinical disease depends on high viral load and Tmevd5, a locus on Chromosome 11. These results have consequences for the identification of viruses which might be implicated in multiple sclerosis.