Toll-Like Receptor 3 (TLR3) Plays a Major Role in the Formation of Rabies Virus Negri Bodies

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000315
• Publication Date: 2009-02-26T22:55:50Z
• Authors: Pauline Ménager; Pascal Roux; Françoise Mégret; Jean-Pierre Bourg...; Anne-Marie Le Sourd; Anne Danckaert; Mireille Lafage; Christophe Préhaud; Monique Lafon
• Keywords: TLR3; Inclusion bodies; TLR7

Human neurons express the innate immune response receptor, Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3). TLR3 levels are increased in pathological conditions such as brain virus infection. Here, we further investigated production, cellular localisation, and function of neuronal during neuronotropic rabies (RABV) infection human cells. Following RABV infection, is not only present endosomes, observed absence but also detergent-resistant perinuclear inclusion bodies. As well TLR3, these bodies contain viral genome proteins (N P, G). The size composition a surrounding membrane, shown by electron microscopy, suggest they correspond to previously described Negri Bodies (NBs). NBs formed TLR3−/− mice—in which tissue was less severely infected—had better survival rate than WT mice. These observations demonstrate that major molecule involved spatial arrangement RABV–induced replication. This study shows how viruses can exploit compartmentalisation for their own benefit.