Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells constitute an important frontline defense against a range of viruses including herpes viruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 1, and hepatitis viruses (1). NK cell deficiencies can lead to serious, life-threatening virus infections, with herpesviruses being of particular importance (2). In recent years, considerable knowledge has been gained on a range of aspects of NK cell biology, such as the nature and role of receptors expressed by NK cells; NK cell responsiveness to cytokines; and the cytokines they produce. Many of these studies have made use of animal models. Mouse models have been useful for studying a number of aspects of virus-NK cell interactions, including the cytokine response following virus infection (3); defining host loci controlling NK cell function following virus infection, notably Cmvl and Rmpl (4,5); and the role of vims-encoded proteins in immune evasion from NK cell surveillance (6). Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), which a member of the herpesvirus family, and ectromelia virus (EV), a poxvirus, serve as important model systems for ongoing research in these areas. Much remains to be learned about how NK cells contribute to the control of vims infections.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
See D. M., Khemka P., Sahl L., Bui T., and Tilles J. G. (1997) The role of natural killer cells in viral infections. Scand. J. Immunol. 46, 217–224.
Biron C. A., Byron K. S., and Sullivan J. L. (1989) Severe herpesvirus infections in an adolescent without natural killer cells. New Eng. J. Med. 320, 1731–1735.
Biron C. A. (1997) Activation and function of natural killer cell responses during viral infections. Curr. Opin. Immunol. 9, 24–34.
Scalzo A. A., Fitzgerald N. A., Simmons A., La Vista A. B., and Shellam G.R. (1990) Cmv-1, a genetic locus that controls murine cytomegalovirus replication in the spleen. J. Exp. Med. 171, 1469–1483.
Delano M. L. and Brownstein D. G. (1995) Innate resistance to lethal mousepox is genetically linked to the NK gene complex on chromosome 6 and correlates with early restriction of virus replication by cells with an NK phenotype. J. Virol. 69, 5875–5877.
Farrell H.E., Vally H., Lynch D.M., Fleming P., Shellam G.R., Scalzo A. A., and Davis-Poynter N. J. (1997) Inhibition of natural killer cells by a cytomegalovirus MHC class I homologue in vivo. Nature 386, 510–514.
Scalzo A. A., Lyons P. A., Fitzgerald N. A., Forbes C. A., and Shellam G. R. (1995) The B ALB.R6-Cmvlr mouse: a strain congenic for Cmvl and the NK gene complex. Immunogenetics 41, 148–151.
Cook M. J. (1965) The Anatomy of the Laboratory Mouse. Published by Academic Press London.
Lathbury L. J., Allan J. E., Shellam G. R., and Scalzo A. A. (1996) Effect of host genotype in determining the relative roles of natural killer cells and T cells in mediating protection against murine cytomegalovirus infection. J. Gen. Virol. 11. 2605–2613.
Grundy (Chalmer) J. E., Mackenzie J. S., and N. F. Stanley. (1981) Influence of H-2 and non-H-2 genes on resistance to murine cytomegalovirus infection. Infect. Immun. 32, 277–286.
Shellam G. R. and Flexman J. P. (1986) Genetically determined resistance to murine cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus in newborn mice. J. Virol 58, 152–156.
Kageyama S., Matsui S., Hasegawa T., Yoshida Y., Sato H., Yamamura J., Kurokawa M., Yamamoto H., and Shiraki K. (1997) Augmentation of natural killer cell activity induced by cytomegalovirus infection in mice treated with FK5O6. Acta Virologica 41, 215–220.
Lutarewych M. A., Quirk M. R., Kringstad B. A., Li W., Verfaillie C. M., and Jordan M. C. (1997) Propagation and titration of murine cytomegalovirus in a continuous bone marrow-derived stromal cell line (M2-10B4). J. Virol. Meth. 68. 193–198.
Ehl S., Nuesch R., Tanaka T., Myasaka M., Hengartner H., and Zinkernagel R. (1996) A comparison of efficacy and specificity of three NK depleting antibodies. J. Immunol. Meth. 199, 149–153.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Humana Press Inc.
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Scalzo, A.A., Farrell, H.E., Karupiah, G. (1999). Techniques For Studying Murine Natural Killer Cells in Defense Against Viral Infection. In: Campbell, K.S., Colonna, M. (eds) Natural Killer Cell Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 121. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-044-6:163
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-044-6:163
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-683-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-044-5
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols