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. 2002 Nov 12;1(7):585–595. doi: 10.1016/0168-1702(84)90015-7

Measles virus gene expression in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

Knut Baczko 1, Micheal J Carter 1,∗, Martin Billeter 1,∗∗, Volker ter Meulen 1
PMCID: PMC7134159  PMID: 6534032

Abstract

RNA was extracted from the diseased brain of a case of human subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and analysed for the expression of measles-specific RNA. Measles virus-specific mRNAs were present, but the amount of matrix (M) protein mRNA was greatly reduced in comparison to lytically infected cells and phospho- (P) protein mRNA was hardly detectable whereas the level of the corresponding intermediate-sized (is-) RNA was greatly increased. RNA obtained from the human brain was also translated in vitro and measles virus nucleocapsid and P protein was produced. However, in marked contrast to control reactions M protein was not detected in the products formed by translation in vitro. These results indicate an impaired measles virus M protein mRNA synthesis in infected brain tissue.

Keywords: measles, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, transcription, translation, matrix protein

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