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J. Virol., Jan 1998, 452-459, Vol 72, No. 1
VE Nava, A Rosen, MA Veliuona, RJ Clem, B Levine and JM Hardwick
Sindbis virus infection of cultured cells and of neurons in mouse brains
leads to programmed cell death exhibiting the classical characteristics of
apoptosis. Although the mechanism by which Sindbis virus activates the cell
suicide program is not known, we demonstrate here that Sindbis virus
activates caspases, a family of death-inducing proteases, resulting in
cleavage of several cellular substrates. To study the role of caspases in
virus-induced apoptosis, we determined the effects of specific caspase
inhibitors on Sindbis virus-induced cell death. CrmA (a serpin from cowpox
virus) and zVAD-FMK (N- benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone)
inhibited Sindbis virus-induced cell death, suggesting that cellular
caspases facilitate apoptosis induced by Sindbis virus. Furthermore, CrmA
significantly increased the rate of survival of infected mice. These
inhibitors appear to protect cells by inhibiting the cellular death pathway
rather than impairing virus replication or by inhibiting the nsP2 and
capsid viral proteases. The specificity of CrmA indicates that the Sindbis
virus-induced death pathway is similar to that induced by Fas or tumor
necrosis factor alpha rather than being like the death pathway induced by
DNA damage. Taken together, these data suggest a central role for caspases
in Sindbis virus-induced apoptosis.
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology
Sindbis virus induces apoptosis through a caspase-dependent, CrmA- sensitive pathway
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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