title: Herpes simplex virus 1 microRNAs expressed abundantly during latent infection are not essential for latency in mouse trigeminal ganglia.
abstract: Several herpes simplex virus 1 microRNAs are encoded within or near the latency associated transcript (LAT) locus, and are expressed abundantly during latency. Some of these microRNAs can repress the expression of important viral proteins and are hypothesized to play important roles in establishing and/or maintaining latent infections. We found that in lytically infected cells and in acutely infected mouse ganglia, expression of LAT-encoded microRNAs was weak and unaffected by a deletion that includes the LAT promoter. In mouse ganglia latently infected with wild type virus, the microRNAs accumulated to high levels, but deletions of the LAT promoter markedly reduced expression of LAT-encoded microRNAs and also miR-H6, which is encoded upstream of LAT and can repress expression of ICP4. Because these LAT deletion mutants establish and maintain latent infections, these microRNAs are not essential for latency, at least in mouse trigeminal ganglia, but may help promote it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Martha F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jurak
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pesola
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boissel
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Knipe
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Coen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000821:virology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000821:virology*; D017735:Virus Latency
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs