The Potential of Transgenic Mice Models for Virus Research

[TytoAlba95]

Homework Statement

While attempting to create a model of poliomyelitis in mice, it was found that the mice cannot be infected with the said virus. Since human beings are susceptible to this viral infection, which kind of transgenic mice should be generated to have a transgenic mouse model that can be infected with polio virus. Select the right approach from below:

Relevant Equations

a. A mouse expressing human receptor gene which makes cell surface protein for docking and internalization of polio virus.
b. A mouse expressing human receptor gene which makes cell surface protein for docking and internalization of polio virus along with a gene designed to express surface protein of this virus at puberty.

Ans:a

I think the answer should be (b) and not (a) because to study the mice model, there should be a gene designed to express the protein of this virus on the cell surface (but I don't know the what it has got to do with puberty ).

 

[Borek]

Not sure what the problem is, a. and b. differ only by that puberty part - so why would you choose b over a?

 

[TytoAlba95]

Not sure what the problem is, a. and b. differ only by that puberty part - so why would you choose b over a?

Option b. is slightly different from a. , (b) talks about incorporating a gene (MHC class II,I guess) that will express the viral peptide after internalization and processing of the virus particle.

I don't understand what puberty has to do with this. May be the puberty part rules out option (b).

 

[Borek]

Perhaps you misquoted the question then, I fail to see a single letter by which these things differ:

a. A mouse expressing human receptor gene which makes cell surface protein for docking and internalization of polio virus

b. A mouse expressing human receptor gene which makes cell surface protein for docking and internalization of polio virus

 

[TytoAlba95]

Perhaps you misquoted the question then, I fail to see a single letter by which these things differ:

I don't know why it is not displaying correctly to you.
I quoted the following two options:

a. A mouse expressing human receptor gene which makes cell surface protein for docking and internalization of polio virus.
b. A mouse expressing human receptor gene which makes cell surface protein for docking and internalization of polio virus along with a gene designed to express surface protein of this virus at puberty.

 

[TeethWhitener]

The key part to the question is this:

which kind of transgenic mice should be generated to have a transgenic mouse model that can be infected (my emphasis) with polio virus.

If you’re trying to build an animal model of infection, do you want the mouse to express the viral protein?

 

[TytoAlba95]

If you’re trying to build an animal model of infection, do you want the mouse to express the viral protein?

Yes, I would like the viral protein to be expressed to study how the animal's immunity handle's the infection(which I believe would be the aim of building the model).

 

[TeethWhitener]

Here’s how I’m reading the question: you want to build a mouse model that can be infected with the poliovirus. It’s clear that you will want to express the human receptor protein on the mouse cells’ surface, so that when the virus is introduced, it will be able to dock with and infect the model organism’s cells. If the mouse is also expressing viral surface protein, what advantage does that give you for reaching your goal? I’m assuming you aren’t interested in immune response yet, you’re just interested in seeing if the cell can be infected with the virus. Having a viral protein that’s expressed both by the virus and by the model organism is only going to confuse things.

 

[TytoAlba95]

Here’s how I’m reading the question: you want to build a mouse model that can be infected with the poliovirus. It’s clear that you will want to express the human receptor protein on the mouse cells’ surface, so that when the virus is introduced, it will be able to dock with and infect the model organism’s cells. If the mouse is also expressing viral surface protein, what advantage does that give you for reaching your goal? I’m assuming you aren’t interested in immune response yet, you’re just interested in seeing if the cell can be infected with the virus. Having a viral protein that’s expressed both by the virus and by the model organism is only going to confuse things.

I see your point. Thank you.