Cell surface expression of H2 antigens on primary sensory neurons in response to acute but not latent herpes simplex virus infection in vivo.

CD8(+) T lymphocytes and class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) molecules profoundly influence the severity of neuronal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in experimentally infected mice. Paradoxically, neurons are classically regarded as MHC-I deficient. However, it is shown here that H2-encoded heavy chains (alphaCs) and their associated light chain, beta2 microglobulin, are present on the surfaces of primary sensory neurons recovered from sensory ganglia within 1 to 2 weeks of HSV infection. During this time, some neurons are found to be tightly associated with T cells in vivo. Prior data showed that termination of productive HSV infection in the peripheral nervous system is not dependent on cell-mediated lysis of infected neurons. Consistent with these data, immunogold electron microscopy showed that the density of cell surface H2 on neurons is an order of magnitude lower than on satellite glia, which is predicted to favor a noncytolytic CD8 cell response.