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. 1991 May;65(5):2724–2727. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.5.2724-2727.1991

An antigen encoded by the latency-associated transcript in neuronal cell cultures latently infected with herpes simplex virus type 1.

C Doerig 1, L I Pizer 1, C L Wilcox 1
PMCID: PMC240637  PMID: 1850045

Abstract

During latent infection of neurons with herpes simplex virus type 1, viral transcription is restricted to the latency-associated transcripts (LATs). These RNAs contain open reading frames, but detection of a protein encoded by the LATs has not been reported. We used immunocytochemical techniques to demonstrate that an antiserum directed against a bacterially expressed fusion protein containing part of a LAT-encoded polypeptide recognized an antigen present in primary neurons latently infected in vitro. This antigen (called LAA, for latency-associated antigen) was not detected in mock-infected neurons, in productively infected Vero cells, or in neurons latently infected with a mutant virus carrying a deletion in the LAT gene. By Western immunoblot analysis, we demonstrated the presence of a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 80 kDa recognized by the anti-LAA antiserum in latently infected neurons.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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