Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) anterograde neuronal transport from trigeminal ganglia to nose and eye requires glycoprotein E

The requirement of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) envelope protein gE (Us8 homolog) for establishment of latency and reactivation in trigeminal ganglia (TG) was examined. Although BHV-1 gE-rescued and gE-deleted viruses were isolated from nasal or ocular swabs during primary infection, only the gE-rescued virus was isolated following dexamethasone-induced reactivation. Furthermore, gC protein expression, which requires viral DNA replication for its expression, was detected in TG of calves infected with either virus following reactivation. These studies suggest that gE is required for anterograde transport of BoHV-1 from neuronal cell bodies in the TG to their nerve processes.