Journal of General Virology, Vol 78, 1103-1108, Copyright © 1997 by Society for General Microbiology
Localization of latency-associated transcripts in the uterovaginal plexus of herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 latently infected mice
J Podlech, F Hengerer, M Fleck, J Kunkel and D Falke
Institute of Virology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany. PODLECH@mzdmza.zdv.uni-mainz.de
The vagina and medulla of the adrenal gland of mice vaginally infected with
herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 were examined in the latent stage
of infection (5 to 51 weeks post-infection). RNA in situ hybridization with
HSV-1 and -2 latency-associated transcript (LAT) RNA probes resulted in
positively stained neuronal cell nuclei in the uterovaginal plexus, but not
in the medulla of the adrenal gland. These organs were chosen because HSV
antigens can be detected not only in the vaginal epithelium, but also in
neurons of the uterovaginal plexus and in the medulla of the adrenal gland
at the acute stage of genital infection. To our knowledge, this is the
first report describing LATs in neurons of the uterovaginal plexus in the
genital tract of latently HSV-infected mice.
