Abstract
SUBACUTE sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, slowly evolving disease of the central nervous system (CNS) which has been associated with measles virus infection. A measles-like virus (SSPE virus) has been isolated from SSPE brain and lymph node material. Also, patients with SSPE show a humoral hyperimmune reaction against measles virus. These findings implicate measles virus as a possible aetiologic agent in this disease; however, they do not explain the pathogenicity of SSPE1,2. Additional factors, either host or virus derived, must have a pathogenetic role, as rarity and rural prevalence of SSPE cannot be correlated to the ubiquitous measles virus infection2. Indeed, biological, ultra-structural and biochemical investigations3–5 have indicated minor differences between SSPE and measles virus strains. On the basis of these findings, we have analysed the mRNAs of these viruses from infected cells and compared the antigenic properties of membrane (M) proteins isolated from purified SSPE (leukoencephalitis (LEC) ) viruses with those of measles (Edmonston) viruses. The results presented here show differences among the M proteins as well as the pattern of mRNAs of these viruses. The findings allow differentiation between these viruses and indicate that SSPE viruses are related but not identical to measles virus.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Meulen, V. ter, Katz, M. & Muller, D., Curr. Top. microbiol. Immun. 57, 1–38 (1972).
Agnarsdottir, G. Recent Advances in Clinical Virology (ed. Waterson, A. P.) (Churchill Livingstone, London 1977).
Payne, E. E. & Baublis, J. V. J. infect. Dis. 127, 505–511 (1973).
Meulen, V. ter, Katz, M., Oyanagi, S., Barbanti-Brodano, G. & Koprowski, H. J. infect. Dis., 126, 11–17 (1972).
Hall, W. W., Meulen, V. ter Nature 264, 474–477 (1976).
Kiessling, W., Hall, W. W. & Meulen, V. ter (in preparation).
Schluederberg, A., Chavanich, S., Lipman, M. B. & Carter, C., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 58, 647–651 (1974).
Wechsler, S. L., Fields, B. N. Nature 272, 458–460 (1978).
Scheid, A., Caliguri, L. A., Compans, R. W. & Choppin, P. W. Virology 50, 640–652 (1972).
Villareal, L. P., Breindl, M. & Holland, J. J. Biochemistry 15, 1663–1667 (1976).
Laemmli, U. K. Nature 227, 680–682 (1970).
Laurell, C. B. Prot. biol. Fluids 14, 499–502 (1967).
Yung, L. L. L., Loh, W. & Meulen, V. ter Med. microbiol. Immun. 163, 111–123 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HALL, W., KIESSLING, W. & MEULEN, V. Membrane proteins of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and measles viruses. Nature 272, 460–462 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272460a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/272460a0
This article is cited by
-
A comparative analysis of measles virus RNA by oligonucleotide fingerprinting
Archives of Virology (1982)
-
Characterization of a hamster brain cell line persistently infected with measles virus
Archives of Virology (1982)
-
Absence of M protein in a cell-associated subacute sclerosing panencephalitis virus
Nature (1980)
-
Antiviral antibody reacting on the plasma membrane alters measles virus expression inside the cell
Nature (1979)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
