Regulated transcription of herpes simplex virus immediate-early genes in neuroblastoma cells

C1300 neuroblastoma cells are nonpermissive for infection with herpes simplex virus but can be rendered permissive by pretreatment with sodium butyrate. This increased permissivity which is specific for HSV is caused by increased transcription of the viral immediate-early genes following infection of butyrate-treated cells and can be observed for at least 24 hr following withdrawal of butyrate. The use of C1300 cells as a model system for studying the regulation of immediate-early gene expression in neuronal cells in vitro and its possible relevance to the study of the processes regulating latent infection in vivo is discussed.