The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Locus That Encodes the Latency-Associated Transcript Enhances the Frequency of Encephalitis in Male BALB/c Mice

Authors

Clinton J. Jones, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Melissa Inman, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Weiping Peng, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Gail A. Henderson, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Alan R. Doster, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Guey-Chuen Perng, University of California at Irvine, UCIMC, Orange, California
Anisa Kaenjak Angeletti, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

November 2005

Comments

Published in JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY, Nov. 2005, p. 14465–14469 Vol. 79, No. 22. Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. Used by permission.

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is the leading cause of virus-induced encephalitis; however, the viral genes that regulate encephalitis have not been well characterized. In this study, we tested whether the LAT (latency-associated transcript) locus regulates the frequency of encephalitis in male or female mice. Male BALB/c mice are more susceptible to HSV-1-induced encephalitis than age-matched female BALB/c mice. Deletion of LAT coding sequences reduced the frequency of encephalitis. A recombinant virus containing the first 1.5 kb of the LAT coding sequence induces levels of encephalitis in male BALB/c mice similar to those induced by wild-type HSV-1.