B-Cell-Mediated Lysis of Cells Infected with the Neurotropic JHM Strain of Mouse Hepatitis Virus

Morales, Shawn; Parra, Beatriz; Ramakrishna, Chandran; Blau, Dianna M.; Stohlman, Stephen A.

Abstract Cells expressing the spike (S) glycoprotein of the neurotropic JHM strain (JHMV) of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) are susceptible to lysis by B cells derived from naı̈ve mice, including B cells from perforin-deficient mice. Cytolysis requires interaction of the virus receptor and the viral S glycoprotein, is independent of other viral-induced components, and is not a unique property of B cells. Neutralizing anti-S-protein monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and a mAb specific for the viral receptor inhibit lysis. However, cells infected with an MHV strain unable to induce cell–cell fusion are resistant to lysis and lysis of JHMV-infected cells is inhibited by an anti-S-protein nonneutralizing mAb which prevents S-protein-mediated cell fusion. These data suggest that B cells may function as antibody-independent innate immune response during JHMV infection in vivo.