Enhanced pathogenesis of an attenuated herpes simplex virus for mice lacking Stat1.

Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, 660 South Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Mice lacking the Stat1 interferon signaling gene were infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or an attenuated recombinant lacking virion host shutoff (Delta vhs). Delta vhs virus-infected Stat1(-/-) mice showed levels of replication equivalent to that of the wild-type virus-infected control mice but reduced relative to wild-type virus-infected Stat1(-/-) mice. Stat1 deficiency relieves the immunomodulatory deficiency of Delta vhs virus, but not its inherent growth defect. Also Vhs is dispensable for reactivation.

PMID: 18400863 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC2395151 [Available on 10/01/08]