LAT expression during an acute HSV infection in the mouse.
Previous studies using cell culture systems to evaluate LAT expression demonstrated that the LAT promoter expresses at much higher levels in neuroblastoma cell lines than fibroblast lines. The high level of LAT expression in neuronal-derived cell lines correlates with the high level of LAT accumulation observed in sensory ganglia neurons during a latent infection. We have found that using LAT promoters to express reporter genes from recombinant viruses in vivo produces high levels of LAT promoter activity in the epithelium of the mouse foot. An analysis of LAT promoter activity during an acute infection in the mouse clearly demonstrates that in contrast to studies performed with selected cell lines, the LAT promoter expresses similar levels of reporter gene product in peripheral cells and in neurons. In addition, the amount of reporter gene product is higher when the LAT promoter is located within the R(L) as compared to the U(L) region, and when expression is adjusted for copy number of the reporter construct, expression is roughly the same. These results suggest the activity of the LAT promoter varies greatly according to cell type and that high levels of expression is not limited solely to neurons, especially in the in vivo setting.
Jarman
R G
RG
Department of Microbiology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-2701, USA.
Wagner
E K
EK
Bloom
D C
DC
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000235:genetics; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000821:virology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011755:Pyrophosphatases; C020020:dUTP pyrophosphatase