When vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is used to infect mice via footpad injection, viral particles are trapped in the draining lymph node (the popliteal lymph node) within 5 minutes of injection. These viral particles are then retained in the lymph node for many hours, where they can be visualized on cells that are interacting with B cells. The cells retaining the viral particles in the lymph node are not tissue-resident dendritic cells that have migrated to the lymph node with the virus, as this process takes much longer than 5 minutes. In which region of the lymph node would you expect to find the trapped viral particles and on which cells?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer is The virus particles are trapped on macrophages that reside in the subcapsular sinus of the lymph node. These cells can retain antigens on their cell surface without ingesting and degrading the antigen. This allows antigen-specific follicular B cells an opportunity to recognize the antigen via their surface immunoglobulin receptor.

When Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) Is Used to Infect Mice