Avian Bornaviruses and the Immune System
Author Information
Author(s): Antje Reuter, Andreas Ackermann, Sonja Kothlow, Monika Rinder, Bernd Kaspers, Peter Staeheli
Primary Institution: University of Freiburg
Hypothesis
Do avian bornaviruses use similar strategies as Borna disease virus to evade the innate immune response?
Conclusion
Avian bornaviruses evade the host immune response by a strategy similar to that of Borna disease virus, effectively avoiding detection by innate immune receptors.
Supporting Evidence
- Avian bornaviruses were shown to be highly sensitive to type I interferon.
- Persistently infected quail cells did not produce detectable levels of biologically active type I interferon.
- Genomic RNA of avian bornaviruses lacked 5'-triphosphates, similar to Borna disease virus.
Takeaway
Bird viruses can hide from the body's defenses, just like some other viruses do, making it hard for the body to fight them off.
Methodology
The study involved infecting quail cell lines with avian bornavirus strains and assessing the impact of chicken IFN-α on viral spread and immune response.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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