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Journal of Virology, June 2007, p. 6752-6756, Vol. 81, No. 12
0022-538X/07/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.02793-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Center for Virus Research, Westmead Millennium Institute,1 Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia2
Received 18 December 2006/ Accepted 26 March 2007
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a species-specific herpesvirus which infects sensory ganglia. We have developed a model of infection of human intact explant dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Following exposure of DRG to VZV, viral antigens were detected in neurons and nonneuronal cells. Enveloped virions were visualized by transmission electron microscopy in neurons and nonneuronal cells and within the extracellular space. Moreover, rather than remaining highly cell associated during infection of cultured cells, such as fibroblasts, cell-free VZV was released from infected DRG. This model enables VZV infection of ganglionic cells to be studied in the context of intact DRG.
Published ahead of print on 4 April 2007.
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