Lack of correlation between the expression of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein C and both the maintenance of persistence in vitro and the capacity to establish latency in vivo.

: The possible involvement of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein C (gC) in the maintenance of persistence in vitro and the establishment of latency in the mouse was investigated by the use of virus mutans which do not express glycoprotein C (gC-). A persistent infection of MDBK cells could be established with 3 of 3 gC- mutans derived from HSV-1 (MP) and with 1 of 2 gC- mutans derived from HSV-1 (HFEM)H6; cells infected with the other gC- mutant derived from HSV-1(HFEM)H6 survived for 25 days only. Of the 4 lines of persistence obtained, only one showed the appearance of revertants expressing gC (gC+). gC+ revertants, which appeared also in the "short term infection", rapidly became the majority population once they had arisen. gC- mutans could establish latency in mice, and the virus recovered from the latently infected ganglia maintained its gC- phenotype. The results show that expression of gC is not essential for the maintenance of persistence in MDBK cells and for the establishment of latency in the mouse. In addition, the results indicate that MDBK cells could offer a model to study the role of gC in the virus replication cycle in vitro.