FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRANSNEURONAL SPREAD OF HERPES-SIMPLEXVIRUS

In viral encephalitis and retinal necrosis, different herpes simplex v irus (HSV) strains spread between neurons in the central nervous syste m (CNS) by distinctly different routes, The steps of viral infection a nd spread in a single neuron type and nearby glial cells in vivo have been determined for three different strains of HSV (F, H129, and McInt yre-B). The corneas of mice were inoculated with equivalent titers of the strains, Two to 5 days later, the animals were killed, The spread of viral proteins within trigeminal cells was examined using immune-an d electron microscopy and Western blots with anti-HSV polyclonal antis erum, McIntyre-B virus infection resulted in fewer labeled ganglion ce lls, possibly as a result of reduced viral production in the corneal e pithelium or trigeminal ganglion cells, Although the McIntyre-B strain was at least as, if not more efficient, at retrograde transport than the other strains, the amount of McIntyre-B virus that was transported in the trigeminal roots in an anterograde direction was significantly less than the other strains, Uptake by ganglionic satellite cells was qualitatively similar for the three strains, but maturation and relea se of virus from satellite cells to other neurons were reduced in the McIntyre-B strain, These characteristics may account for the preferent ial retrograde transneuronal spread of McIntyre-B strain. (C) 1997 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.