A Heparan-Dependent Herpesvirus Targets the Olfactory Neuroepithelium for Host Entry
Figure 5
Neuroepithelial infection is HS-dependent.
Adult C57BL/6 mice were allowed to inhale either wild-type, gL−gp70− or gL−gp70−gp150− virions in 5 µl. As gL−gp70− MuHV-4 plaques poorly, the wild-type virus was titrated by plaque assay and all other virus stocks normalized to this by immunoblotting with MuHV-4-specific mAbs (Fig.S2). Groups of 8 mice were then exposed to virus and 1 month later scored as infected or not based on ELISA for virus-specific serum IgG. At 101 and 102 p.f.u. equivalents, gL−gp70− MuHV-4 infected significantly fewer mice than either the wild-type or the HS-independent triple mutant (p<0.03 by 2-tailed Fisher's exact test). The graph on the right illustrates ELISA results for 3 mice per group from the 102 p.f.u. equivalent dose, plus 3 naive controls. Note that the one mouse infected with gL−gp70− virus shows an antibody response comparable to those infected with wild-type virus.