HSV-1 neuroinvasiveness.

Neuroinvasiveness, the capacity of virus to enter and progress through the nervous system, may be accomplished by hematogenous or neural routes. We have been interested in defining HSV-1 genes specifically concerned with the neural pathway. In one system (involving HSV strain Ang), we have found that a single amino acid change in glycoprotein D, a viral membrane protein, confers invasiveness upon a noninvasive agent. Preliminary studies of another noninvasive agent, KOS, suggests that at least 2 genes are related to the phenotype. Experiments which establish specificity for the noninvasive phenotype and a discussion of the potential mechanisms involved in the glycoprotein D localization are also discussed.