The latency-related (LR) RNA of bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) is abundantly expressed in sensory neurons of latently infected cattle. Wild-type expression of LR gene products is required for the latency-reactivation cycle. LR gene products inhibit apoptosis, bICP0 expression, and mammalian cell growth. The cell growth inhibitory function of the LR gene maps to a 463-bp XbaI-PstI fragment. Introduction of stop codons into the XbaI-PstI fragment had no effect on inhibiting growth. Expression of a LR strand-specific transcript correlates with growth inhibition in bovine fibroblasts and mouse neuroblastoma cells.