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A small scale transmission experiment was performed with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) in a cattle population under field conditions. 10 calves were housed under strict hygienic conditions, with a distance of 4m between each calf. Five calves were experimentally infected with BHV1, two calves with strain Harberink and three with strain Lam, respectively. Experimentally infected calves were placed at 4 m distance from five susceptible sentinel calves. Airborne transmission to sentinel calves was detected using virus isolation and BHV1 specific polymerase chain reactions in samples of nasal fluids, and BHV1 specific antibodies in serum samples. Strain Harberink was hardly transmitted to sentinel calves, whereas strain Lam was transmitted to all sentinels. Estimating the rate of transmission per day, the total number of calves infected by one (strain Lam) infected calf was 1.18. Comparing this estimated transmission ratio between cattle at a distance of 4 m to the estimated transmission ratio R of BHV1 in susceptible commingled cattle reported before, the effect of the factor distance on the transmission ratio could be calculated. Extrapolating these results, a distance of 4.4 m between cattle populations would be necessary to reduce transmission for this strain to R

A significant decrease in the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) was found in the corneal tissue of rabbits with Herpes Simplex 1 (HSV-1)-induced keratitis. Such a decrease was due to a loss of the reduced species, since no increase in its oxidized form was observed. Topical administration of purified GSH was able to reduce the virus titre in corneal tissue and, at the same time, was effective in reducing the severity and progression of keratitis and conjunctivitis. This effect was paralleled by a partial recovery in the corneal GSH content. In vitro experiments performed on HSV-1 infected corneal-derived rabbit cells showed that exogenous GSH reduced virus titre in the supernatant of infected cells. These results are in agreement with our previous findings that an oxidative environment, due to GSH depletion, is necessary for virus replication and suggest that topical GSH treatment could be considered as complementary therapy in HSV-1-induced keratitis.

In a mouse model of herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 corneal infection, tissue destruction results from a CD4+ T cell-mediated chronic inflammation, in which interleukin 2 and interferon (IFN) gamma are requisite inflammatory mediators and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are the predominant infiltrating cells. In vivo neutralization of IFN-gamma relieved inflammation at least in part through a specific block of PMN extravasation into HSV-1-infected corneas. Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) 1 were upregulated on the vascular endothelium of inflamed corneas. Reduced PMN extravasation in anti-IFN-gamma-treated mice was associated with a dramatic reduction of PECAM-1 but not ICAM-1 expression on vascular endothelium. PMN accumulated in the lumen of corneal vessels after in vivo IFN-gamma neutralization. PECAM-1 was readily detectable on PMN inside the vessels but was not detectable on PMN that extravasated into the infected cornea. Moreover, flow cytometric analysis revealed reduced PECAM-1 expression but elevated major histocompatibility complex class I expression on PMN that recently extravasated into the peritoneal cavity when compared with PMN in the peripheral blood. We conclude that IFN-gamma contributes to HSV-1-induced corneal inflammation by facilitating PMN infiltration; this appears to be accomplished through upregulation of PECAM-1 expression on the vascular endothelium; and PMN downregulate PECAM-1 expression during the process of extravasation.

The process of transcriptional activation directed by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR) was investigated by in vivo footprinting using ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction in a human epithelial cell line infected with human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6). Infection with both viruses induces a remarkable enhancement in LTR-mediated gene expression that correlates with a change in the pattern of protein binding to the downstream kappa B site of the enhancer region. In HHV-6 infected cells, this change in the genomic footprinting pattern is concomitant with the induction of specific enhancer-binding proteins in the nucleus. The similarity of these events to those detected in other previously investigated experimental systems suggests that the LTR enhancer region is the ultimate target for the induction of the HIV-1 transcriptional response upon stimuli acting through different upstream pathways.

The efficacy of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA) against the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and its cellular metabolism were investigated in human primary macrophages from seronegative donors. PMEA potently inhibited the replication of both HIV and HSV-1 in macrophages, with similar EC50 values (0.025 and 0.032 microM, respectively), whereas the EC50 values of PMEA in lymphocytic C8166 cells and fibroblastoid Vero cells were 150-200-fold higher (3.5 and 7.9 microM, respectively). Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and macrophage colony-stimulating factor, two cytokine enhancers of the replication of HIV (and HSV-1), decreased the activity of PMEA against both viruses, yet EC50 values were still lower than in lymphocytes and fibroblasts. Thus, the selectivity index of PMEA in macrophages was2 orders of magnitude higher than that in lymphocytes and fibroblasts and still1 log higher under conditions of enhancement of virus replication in macrophages. The intracellular levels of 2'-deoxyadenosine-5'-triphosphate, the natural competitor of PMEA-diphosphate at the level of viral DNA polymerase (either RNA or DNA dependent), were 5-12-fold lower in macrophages than in other cells. Furthermore, intracellular concentrations of PMEA-diphosphate (the active metabolite of PMEA) were unusually much higher in macrophages (with or without cytokines) than in lymphocytes and fibroblasts. Consequently, the ratio of PMEA-diphosphate to 2'-deoxyadenosine-5'-triphosphate in monocytes/macrophages was approximately 2 orders of magnitude higher in macrophages than in the other cells and correlated closely with the pronounced antiviral potency of PMEA. The dual potent activity of PMEA against HIV and HSV-1 stresses the importance of clinical trials to assess the role of this drug in the therapy of HIV-related disease.

Thirty-seven bacterial clones producing human recombinant monoclonal antibody Fab fragments (rFabs) reactive to herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigens were selected from a human combinatorial antibody library constructed in a phage-display vector by a panning procedure against an HSV lysate. Thirty-four of the HSV-specific rFabs were able to specifically recognize HSV-infected cells in indirect immunofluorescence (IF) assays; of these, 25 recognized cells infected by either HSV type 1 (HSV-1) or HSV-2, while 9 recognized only HSV-1-infected cells. One HSV type-common rFab (rFab H37) and one HSV-1-specific rFab (rFab H85) were further evaluated as reagents for viral detection and typing by IF staining in 134 HSV-positive (72 HSV-1 and 62 HSV-2) viral cultures from clinical specimens. The results obtained with these two rFabs were fully consistent with those obtained with a commercial preparation of fluorescein-labeled anti-HSV type-specific murine monoclonal antibodies. The detection sensitivity with the type-common rFab in indirect IF assays was higher overall than that provided by the type-specific murine monoclonal antibodies. Preparations of rFabs suitable for IF staining can be easily and inexpensively obtained in a clinical microbiology laboratory from Escherichia coli cultures. Similar HSV-specific rFabs, therefore, could be advantageous for in vitro diagnostic purposes.

Eukaryotic gene expression is extensively regulated by cellular stress and pathogen infections. We have previously shown that herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and several cellular stresses cause widespread disruption of transcription termination (DoTT) of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in host genes and that the viral immediate early factor ICP27 plays an important role in HSV-1-induced DoTT. Here, we show that HSV-1 infection also leads to widespread changes in alternative polyadenylation (APA) of host mRNAs. In the majority of cases, polyadenylation shifts to upstream poly(A) sites (PAS), including many intronic PAS. Mechanistically, ICP27 contributes to HSV-1-mediated APA regulation. HSV-1- and ICP27-induced activation of intronic PAS is sequence-dependent and does not involve general inhibition of U1 snRNP. HSV1-induced intronic polyadenylation is accompanied by early termination of RNAPII. HSV-1-induced mRNAs polyadenylated at intronic PAS (IPA) are exported into the cytoplasm while APA isoforms with extended 3’ UTRs are sequestered in the nuclei, both preventing the expression of the full-length gene products. Finally we provide evidence that HSV-induced IPA isoforms are translated. Together with other recent studies, our results suggest that viral infection and cellular stresses induce a multi-faceted host response that includes DoTT and changes in APA profiles., Author summary Viral infections profoundly alter host cell gene expression. It is important to understand both how viruses hijack the host cell machineries to express their own genes and how host cells respond to viral infection for defense. We have previously shown that herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) blocks host cell transcription termination, at least in part, through the viral immediate early protein ICP27. Here we show that HSV-1 infection also alters mRNA 3’ end formation and promotes the formation of truncated mRNAs. Some of these aberrant mRNAs are exported into the cytoplasm and translated. This viral activity requires ICP27 and other viral factors. Our study, together with other recent reports, suggests that viral infections and cellular stress elicit similar responses in mammalian cells.