FIG. 2.

gE-null virus infects the retina. (A) Western blot performed on Vero cell extracts of mock-infected (lane 1) and WT virus-infected (lane 2) cells and truncated purified baculovirus proteins gD, gE, gC, and gB (lanes 3 to 6, respectively) (200 ng each) probed with polyclonal HSV-1 antibody (Dako). (B) Mouse eyes were infected with 4 × 10⁴ PFU of WT, NS-gEnull, or KOS-gDβ (gD-null pseudotype) virus, and retinas were stained for viral antigens by immunofluorescence at 3 and 5 dpi. The gD-null pseudotype virus infects very few cells (white arrow). Abbreviations: RPE, retinal pigmented epithelium; ONL, outer nuclear layer; INL, inner nuclear layer; GCL, ganglion cell layer. Colors: red, viral antigens (polyclonal HSV-1 antibody); green, ganglion cell axons (anti-Thy1.2); blue, nuclei (DAPI). Magnification, ×200. Photomicrographs of infection with WT and NS-gEnull viruses are representative of three retinas per virus examined on day 3 and 10 retinas per virus examined on day 5. The results shown with KOS-gDβ virus are representative of eight retinas evaluated on day 3 and nine retinas on day 5.