Polarized sorting of the viral glycoproteins of Herpes Simplex Virus Type I in murine embryonic neurons in culture: A confocal laser scanning microscopic study

Abstract

Primary cultures of murine cortical neurons and glia cells obtained from mouse embryos at 15 days of gestation were employed to study the polarized sorting of infected Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1)envelope glycoproteins. Following trypsinization the cortical neurons were successfully maintained at low density on polylysine-coated coverslips or culture dishes in a glucose-enriched medium. The intracellular distribution of viral glycoproteins was monitored by laser scanning confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. In mature, fully polarized neurons the HSV-1 glycoprotein moved from the perinuclear Golgilike region to the dendritic domains, whereas in underdeveloped immature neurons and glia cells no polarized distribution of the viral glycoproteins was observed. Since the HSV-1 glycoproteins are sorted to the basolateral plasma membrane of MDCK cells in a polarized manner', it is suggested that a common mechanism for polarized protein sorting could be shared between neurons and epithelial cells. Implications of the polarized sorting of the viral glycoproteins are also discussed on the basis for the pathogenesis of HSV-1 encephalitis.