POU-domain factor expression in the trigeminal ganglion and implications for herpes virus regulation

The restriction of herpes virus latency to mammalian sensory ganglia has led to a search for tissue-specific regulatory molecules in these neurons which alter viral gene expression. Based primarily on work in sensory-related cell lines, several prior reports have suggested that the POU-domain transcription factor Oct-2 functions in the establishment of viral latency. Here we show that among the POU-domain transcriptional regulators, Brn-3.0 is abundantly expressed in the postnatal trigeminal ganglion. In contrast, Oct-2 message and protein are not detectable by sensitive and specific assays, effectively excluding a direct role for Oct-2 in the viral life cycle in vivo.