Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes life-long latent infection within sensory neurons, during which viral lytic gene expression is silenced. The only highly expressed viral gene product during latent infection is the latency-associated transcript (LAT), a non-protein coding RNA that has been strongly implicated in the epigenetic regulation of HSV-1 gene expression. We have investigated LAT-mediated control of latent gene expression using chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses and LAT-negative viruses engineered to express firefly luciferase or β-galactosidase from a heterologous lytic promoter. Whilst we were unable to determine a significant effect of LAT expression upon heterochromatin enrichment on latent HSV-1 genomes, we show that reporter gene expression from latent HSV-1 genomes occurs at a greater frequency in the absence of LAT. Furthermore, using luciferase reporter viruses we have observed that HSV-1 gene expression decreases during long-term latent infection, with a most marked effect during LAT-negative virus infection. Finally, using a fluorescent mouse model of infection to isolate and culture single latently infected neurons, we also show that reactivation occurs at a greater frequency from cultures harbouring LAT-negative HSV-1. Together, our data suggest that the HSV-1 LAT RNA represses HSV-1 gene expression in small populations of neurons within the mouse TG, a phenomenon that directly impacts upon the frequency of reactivation and the maintenance of the transcriptionally active latent reservoir.

alpha-Chymotrypsin serves as a sole carbon source, sole nitrogen source, and as sole carbon plus nitrogen source for wild-type Escherichia coli in a totally defined medium. Hence, a mammalian host for E. coli may supply the necessary carbon and nitrogen nutrients for the microorganism. Growth is most rapid when chymotrypsin is a sole nitrogen source and least rapid with chymotrypsin as a carbon source. The approximate doubling times for E. coli utilizing chymotrypsin as a nitrogen source, carbon plus nitrogen source, and carbon source are 1.6, 4.6, and 11.3 h, respectively. The activity of the residual enzyme in the culture supernates falls off asymptotically over the source of time, as followed by cleavage of glutaryl-L-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide. Chymotrypsin hydrolyzes succinyl-L-ala-L-ala-p-nitroanilide, the elastase substrate, to some extent. Peptidases do not appear to be secreted that hydrolyze such model substrates as benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide, the tryptic and cathepsin B substrate, L-leucine-p-nitroanilide, the leucine amino-peptidase substrate, or L-lysine-p-nitroanilide, the aminopeptidase B substrate. Growth of E. coli is generally directly related to the loss of chymotryptic activity in the medium. Hence, autolysis of chymotrypsin, i.e., self-degradation, is an important factor for the availability of degradation products of the enzyme to the bacterium for growth purposes. Accordingly, the degradation of a host protein by autolysis presents an opportunity for E. coli to survive during periods of host nutritional crisis by utilization of the degradation peptides that are produced during autolysis.

No abstract

No abstract

This study was designed to assay changes in glycogen synthesis which may occur as a result of cortisol treatment of chlamydial-infected cells. Monolayers of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, unlabeled and prelabeled with [6-14C]glucose, were treated with various concentrations of cortisol before (pretreated) or during (post-treated) infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. At designated times after absorption, the cells were harvested and assayed for total glycogen and 14C accumulation in glycogen. The total amount of glycogen accumulated in cells during the period of greatest chlamydial glycogen synthesis (36 h) was not affected by cortisol treatment. Cortisol treatment appeared to have retarded the accumulation of glycogen in treated infected cells until 30 h after infection. Treated infected cells prelabeled with [6-14C]glucose accumulated a greater amount of 14C in glycogen than untreated infected cells. All cortisol-treated, infected cells exhibited elevated levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity, whereas untreated infected cells did not. The hypothesis that cortisol affects chlamydia multiplication by altering the intracellular environment of the host cell is compatible with the results obtained.