HSV Latency-Associated Transcript and Neuronal

In a study of the latency-associated transcript (LAT) gene in herpes simplex virus–type 1 (HSV-1), Perng et al. reported that “in rabbit trigeminal ganglia [TGs], extensive apoptosis occurred with LAT2 virus but not with LAT1 viruses, ” and concluded that the LAT gene “pro-motes neuronal survival after HSV-1 infection by reducing apoptosis ” (1). That conclusion rested on interpretations of two in situ analyses: (i) immunohistochemical staining for cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (p85 PARP), and (ii) terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) to detect fragmented DNA. Cleavage of PARP by caspases between amin