Tripartite-motif 21 (TRIM21) is thought to regulate the type I interferon (IFN) response to virus pathogens and serve as a cytosolic Fc receptor for immunoglobulin. Since herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 is sensitive to type I IFN and neutralizing antibody, we investigated the role of TRIM21 in response to ocular HSV-1 infection in mice. In comparison to wild type (WT) mice, TRIM21 deficient (TRIM21 KO) mice were found to be no more susceptible to ocular HSV-1 infection than WT animals, in terms of infectious virus recovered in the cornea. Similar pathology, in terms of neovascularization, opacity, and loss of peripheral vision function, was observed in both WT and TRIM21 KO mice. However, TRIM21 KO mice did possess a significant increase in infectious virus recovered in the trigeminal ganglia, in comparison to the WT animals. The increased susceptibility was not due to changes in HSV-1-specific CD4+ or CD8+ T cell numbers or functional capabilities, or in changes in type I IFN or IFN-inducible gene expression. In summary, the absence of TRIM21 results in a modest, but significant, increase in HSV-1 titers recovered from the TG of TRIM21 KO mice during acute infection, by a mechanism yet to be determined.
Keywords: HSV-1; T cells; TRIM21; cornea; interferon stimulatory genes; interferon-γ; trigeminal ganglia.