Attenuation of Equine Lentivirus Alters Mitochondrial Protein Expression Profile from Inflammation to Apoptosis

Abstract

Following viral infection, the working pattern and function of the cell can be transformed through the impact on mitochondria. It still unknown how the mitochondrial response changes in cells infected with viruses in the process of virulence attenuation. EIAV DLV121 is the only effective lentiviral vaccine for large-scale use in the world. EIAV DLV34 is the parent pathogenic strain. Unlike EIAV DLV34 -induced inflammation storms, EIAV DLV121 can induce high levels of apoptosis. For the first time, we found that, after the mitochondrial protein expression profile is altered, EIAV DLV34 -infected cells are transformed into M1-polarized-type macrophages and cause inflammatory injury and that the intrinsic apoptosis pathway is activated in EIAV DLV121 -infected cells. These studies shed light on how the mitochondrial protein expression profile changes between cells infected by pathogenic lentivirus strains and cells infected by attenuated lentivirus strains to drive different cellular responses, especially from inflammation to apoptosis.