Localization of latency-associated transcripts in the uterovaginal plexus of herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 latently infected mice.

Abstract

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 latencyassociated 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. Recently, latent HSV was reported in ganglia of the gastric plexus (Gesser et al., 1994 ; Gesser & Koo, 1996), a part of the autonomic nervous system. Because neurons of the autonomic nervous system exist in close proximity to the vaginal epithelium, we looked at the uterovaginal ganglia (Frankenha$ user plexus) to determine whether or not HSV can establish latency in these neurons. InA great number of publications exists demonstrating latency-associated transcripts (LATs) in situ ( Arthur et al., 1993 ; Ecob-Prince et al., 1994 ; Fraser et al., 1992 ; Mitchell et al., 1990 a, b ; Speck & Simmonds, 1992 ;Spivack & Fraser, 1987 ;Tanaka et al., 1994 ;Valyi-Nagy et al., 1994). We also employed the RNA in situ hybridization (