Cell Type-Specific Induction and Inhibition of Apoptosis by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 ICP10

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) inhibits apoptosis induced by external stimuli in epithelial cells. In contrast, apoptosis is the primary outcome in HSV-infected lymphocytes. Here, we show that HSV type 2 (HSV-2) gene expression appears to be necessary for the induction of apoptosis in Jurkat cells, a T-cell leukemia line. HSV-2 ICP10 gene expression is sufficient to induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells, while its expression protects epithelial HEp-2 cells from apoptosis triggered by cycloheximide and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Thus, the effect of HSV-2 gene expression on the cellular apoptotic pathway appears to depend on the specific cell type.