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Bacterial infection of endometrial stromal cells influences bovine herpesvirus 4 immediate early gene activation: a new insight into bacterial and viral interaction for uterine disease

Dipartimento di Salute Animale, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Parma, Sezione di Malattie Infettive degli Animali, via del Taglio 8, 43100 Parma, Italy¹ Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Royal College Street, London NW1 0TU, UK

Correspondence should be addressed to G Donofrio; Email: gaetano.donofrio{at}unipr.it

Experimental infection with the -herpesvirus bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) rarely establishes disease, yet BoHV-4 is commonly associated with uterine disease in cattle. Uterine disease involves co-infection with bacteria such as Escherichia coli, which stimulate the production of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) by endometrial cells. BoHV-4 replication depends on immediate early 2 (IE2) gene transactivation and, in the present study, PGE₂, E. coli or its lipopolysaccharide upregulated the IE2 gene promoter in uterine cells. Bacterial co-infection is important for BoHV-4 uterine disease.