title: Brn-3a suppresses pseudorabies virus-induced cell death in sensory neurons.
abstract: Sensory neurons of the trigeminal ganglion (TG) are of crucial importance in the pathogenesis of many alphaherpesviruses, constituting major target cells for latency and reactivation events. We showed earlier that a subpopulation of porcine TG neurons, in contrast to other porcine cell types, is highly resistant to cell death induced by infection with the porcine alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PRV). Here, we report that expression of Brn-3a, a neuron-specific transcription factor implicated in cell survival of sensory neurons, correlates with the increased resistance of TG neurons towards PRV-induced cell death. In addition, overexpression of Brn-3a in the sensory neuronal cell line ND7 markedly increased resistance of these cells to PRV-induced cell death. Hence, Brn-3a may play a hitherto uncharacterized role in protection of sensory neurons from alphaherpesvirus-induced cell death, which may have implications for different aspects of the alphaherpesvirus life cycle, including latency/reactivation events.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Geenen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nauwynck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Regge
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent University, Harelbekestraat 72, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braeckmans
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.|Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Herman W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Favoreel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015870:Gene Expression; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology*; D051381:Rats; D013552:Swine; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A