A live non-neurovirulent herpes simplex virus vector expresses beta-galactosidase in the nervous system of the Wistar and Sprague-Dawley strain rat for a prolonged period.
We have constructed a live non-neurovirulent herpes simplex virus vector expressing beta-galactosidase under the control of the latency associated transcript promoter without inducing inflammation. Pathogenicity of the recombinant virus (betaH1) was not observed in the cutaneous, intravenous and intracerebral infection in mice. When betaH1 was inoculated at the caudate putamen of rats, beta-galactosidase activity was observed in neurons at the inoculation site and its projecting frontal cortex. Expression of beta-galactosidase was observed in the neurons of the innervating dorsal root ganglia 45 days after inoculation of betaH1 into the hind paws of the rats. Neither inflammation nor tissue destruction was observed in both neural tissues in this study. Thus this non-neurovirulent recombinant virus is a suitable vector for expressing the foreign genes in the nervous system for the prolonged period.
Shiraki
K
K
Department of Virology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Japan. kshiraki@toyama-mpu.ac.jp
Yamamura
J
J
Kurokawa
M
M
Andoh
T
T
Sato
H
H
Yoshida
Y
Y
Li
Z H
ZH
Kamiyama
T
T
Kageyama
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*
D001616:beta-Galactosidase