Branco FJ, Fraser NW. Herpes simplex virus type 1 latency-associated transcript expression protects trigeminal ganglion neurons from apoptosis.
J Virol 2005;
79:9019-25. [PMID:
15994795 PMCID:
PMC1168792 DOI:
10.1128/jvi.79.14.9019-9025.2005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon infection of murine trigeminal ganglia with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), an immune response is initiated resulting in significant infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Previous investigators have observed a lack of apoptosis in HSV-1 trigeminal ganglia even in the presence of cytotoxic immune cells. To determine the role of the latency-associated transcript (LAT) in inhibiting apoptosis, we examined mice during acute and latent infection with HSV-1 (strain 17 or a LAT-negative deletion mutant strain 17 N/H) by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). FACS analysis revealed CD8+ T cells in the trigeminal ganglia by day 7, with more being present in 17- than 17 N/H-infected trigeminal ganglia (6.22% versus 3.5%) and a decrease in number through day 30 (2.7% to 1.2%). To detect apoptotic CD8+ T cells, sections were assayed by TUNEL and stained for CD8+ T cells. By day 7, approximately 10% of CD8+ T cells in both 17- and 17 N/H-infected trigeminal ganglia had undergone apoptosis. By day 30, 58% and 74% of all T cells had undergone apoptosis in 17- and 17 N/H-infected trigeminal ganglia, respectively. Furthermore, no HSV strain 17-infected trigeminal ganglion neurons were apoptotic, but 0.087% of 17deltaSty and 0.98% of 17 N/H-infected neurons were apoptotic. We conclude that the antiapoptotic effect of LAT appears to require the LAT promoter, with most of the antiapoptotic effect mapping within the StyI (+447) to the HpaI (+1667) region and a minor contribution from the upstream StyI (+76) to StyI (+447) region.
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