%0 Journal Article %A Asano, S %A Honda, Takashi %A Goshima, Fusi %A Watanabe, Daisuke %A Miyake, Yozo %A Sugiura, Yasuo %A Nishiyama, Yukihiro %T US3 protein kinase of herpes simplex virus type 2 plays a role in protecting corneal epithelial cells from apoptosis in infected mice. %D 1999 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 80 %N 1 %P 51-56 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-80-1-51 %I Microbiology Society, %X To clarify the biological role of US3 protein kinase of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in vivo, the expression of the viral antigen, the appearance of apoptotic bodies and DNA fragmentation were examined immunohistologically after corneal infection of mice with three different kinds of HSV-2 strain 186: the wild-type virus, a US3-deficient mutant (L1BR1) and its revertant (L1B-11). In both wild-type 186- and L1B-11-infected mice, viral antigen was diffusely found in the corneal epithelium; no apoptotic changes were detected in the epithelial cells. Whereas, in L1BR1-infected mice, HSV-immunoreactivity was localized around the virus-inoculated sites, and a large number of apoptotic bodies were observed in the corneal epithelium with dual-positive reactions for both HSV-immunostaining and TUNEL staining. These results suggest that the US3 protein kinase plays an important role in protecting HSV-2-infected cells from apoptotic death in vivo. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-80-1-51