Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Latency-Associated Transcript Reduces Human Neuroblastoma Cell Proliferation

Background and Aims: The latency-associated transcript (LAT) transcribed by latent Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 in neuron cells are able to influence their host cell pathways. While the most of previous studies were focused on anti-apoptotic effects of LAT, our investigation is making an effort to explore LAT potency on cell cycle pathway in neuroblastoma cell lines. Methods: The evaluation of LAT expression was assayed by RT-PCR. Real-Time PCR of cell cycle critical gene controllers’ transcripts expression like EP300, P15, RB, RBL1, RBL2, MAPK-1, cyclinA2 and SMAD2 along with other technical evaluation such as MTT and cell counting assay assessed the LAT effects on cell cycle. Results: The LAT transfected cells gene expression showed the increase of EP300, P15, RBL1 and RBL2 along with decline in MAPK-1 and cyclinA2 in comparison to cells transfected by control vector. The cell counting and MTT assays determined that LAT brought cell cycle down rather than cells introduced by control plasmid. Conclusion: our investigation revealed that LAT transcript is able to repress cell cycle in neuroblastoma cells.