A method for the identification of pseudorabies virus protein and angiotensin AT1A receptor mRNA expression in the same CNS neurons

Abstract

Neurotropic viruses have been used over the last 10 years to map the distribution of chains of synaptically connected neurons in the CNS. The peptide content of infected neurons has been determined in a number of cases immunohistochemically. However, it has been unclear whether specific mRNA can be assessed in virus-infected neurons. We have established a technique which enables the identification of viral protein and mRNA in the same neuron. In the present study pseudorabies virus retrogradely transported from the kidney was localised using immunohistochemistry and mRNA for the angiotensin II AT1A receptor was detected by hybridisation histochemistry. Virus protein was visualised using an i..