Impairment in reactivation of a latency associated transcript (LAT)-deficient HSV-2 is not solely dependent on the latent viral load or the number of CD8 T cells infiltrating the ganglia

The HSV latency-associated transcript (LAT) is abundantly expressed during virus latency. Previous studies have shown that the latent viral load and CD8⁺ T cells in ganglia influence the rate of reactivation of HSV. While LAT is important for efficient reactivation and establishment of latency, it is uncertain how LAT affects either the HSV latent viral load or CD8⁺ T cell infiltration of ganglia. We infected mice with LAT-deficient or LAT-restored HSV-2 at a wide range of inocula. We found that the reduced rate of spontaneous ex-vivo reactivation of the LAT-deficient virus was not associated with a higher number of CD8⁺ T cells in the ganglia. Reactivation rates were lower for LAT-deficient than LAT restored HSV-2 even when the latent viral loads were similar, indicating that differences in reactivation were not solely dependent on the latent viral load. Therefore, LAT likely has additional functions important for reactivation.