Has a Cellular Immune Response Profile Distinct from Laboratory Mice.

The multimammate mouse () has been identified as a major reservoir for multiple human pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), spp., spp., and spp. Although are related to well-characterized mouse and rat species commonly used in laboratory models, there is an absence of established assays and reagents to study the host immune responses of . As a result, there are major limitations to our understanding of immunopathology and mechanisms of immunological pathogen control in this increasingly important rodent species. In the current study, a large panel of commercially available rodent reagents were screened to identify their cross-reactivity with Using these reagents, ex vivo assays were established and optimized to evaluate lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production by lymphocytes. In contrast to C57BL/6J mice, lymphocytes from were relatively non-responsive to common stimuli such as phytohaemagglutinin P and lipopolysaccharide. However, they readily responded to concanavalin A stimulation as indicated by proliferation and cytokine production. In summary, we describe lymphoproliferative and cytokine assays demonstrating that the cellular immune responses in to commonly used mitogens differ from a laboratory-bred mouse strain.