Receptor usage and the pathogenicity of the felid lentiviruses

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• Professor Brian Willet, Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow
• Wednesday 24 February 2010, 16:30-17:30
• Lecture Theatre 1, Department of Veterinary Medicine.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Suzy Blows.

Lentiviruses are widespread pathogens of the Felidae, infecting both domestic cats and non-domestic felids. Within the domestic cat population, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a significant cause of disease, with infection resulting in an immunodeficiency syndrome characterised by recurrent gingivitis-stomatitis, cachexia, wasting, neuropathology and an increased risk of tumour development. The association between lentiviral infection and disease development in non-domestic felids is less clear, however lentivirus-infected African lions show a marked decline in CD4 T lymphocytes and the expansion of an activated CD8a/b lymphocyte sub-population, analogous to observations in FIV and HIV infections. Moreover, captive lions have succumbed to lentivirus-associated diseases after prolonged infection and specific pathological changes including lymphadenopathy, gingivitis, tongue papillomas and cachexia have been described recently in free-ranging lions. In this presentation, I explore the role of the virus-receptor interaction in the pathogenesis of feline AIDS , examining the link between the expression of the viral receptors CD134 and CXCR4 , cell tropism and pathogenesis, and comparing the lentiviruses of the domestic cat and the African lion. Moreover, our recent data suggest that the nature of the virus-receptor interaction alters with disease progression, suggesting that the virus we isolate from a cat displaying clinical signs may differ significantly from the virus that is transmitted between cats.

This talk is part of the Departmental Seminar Programme, Department of Veterinary Medicine series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Cambridge Immunology
• Cambridge Infectious Disease
• Cambridge Infectious Diseases
• Departmental Seminar Programme, Department of Veterinary Medicine
• Lecture Theatre 1, Department of Veterinary Medicine
• Vet School Seminars

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