Blocking HSV-1 glycoprotein K binding to signal peptide peptidase reduces virus infectivity in vitro and in vivo
Fig 9
Effect of dTat-gK4 peptide on virus replication and CS in C57BL/6 infected mice.
C57BL/6 mice from two separate experiments were infected ocularly with 2 X 105 PFU/eye of HSV-1 strain McKrae. One day before infection and on days 1–5 PI, mice received 20 μg of dTat-gK4 or dTat control peptide twice daily as an eye drop in 5 μl of 1xPBS. (A) Virus replication in the eye of infected mice. Eye swabs were collected each day for 6 days and virus titer in the tear film was measured by standard plaque assay. Each point is mean ± SEM from 26 eyes for dTat-gK4 and 22 eyes for dTat control. (B) CS in ocularly infected mice. CS in treated mice was measured on days 14 and 28 PI. Each point is mean ± SEM from 26 eyes for dTat-gK4 and 20 eyes for dTat control. Panels: A) Virus titer in the eye; B) CS on day 14 PI; and C) CS on day 28 PI.