Nuclear sensing of viral DNA, epigenetic regulation of herpes simplex virus infection, and innate immunity

Journal Article · Fri May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Virology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.VIROL.2015.02.009· OSTI ID:22470165

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) undergoes a lytic infection in epithelial cells and a latent infection in neuronal cells, and epigenetic mechanisms play a major role in the differential gene expression under the two conditions. HSV viron DNA is not associated with histones but is rapidly loaded with heterochromatin upon entry into the cell. Viral proteins promote reversal of the epigenetic silencing in epithelial cells while the viral latency-associated transcript promotes additional heterochromatin in neuronal cells. The cellular sensors that initiate the chromatinization of foreign DNA have not been fully defined. IFI16 and cGAS are both essential for innate sensing of HSV DNA, and new evidence shows how they work together to initiate innate signaling. IFI16 also plays a role in the heterochromatinization of HSV DNA, and this review will examine how IFI16 integrates epigenetic regulation and innate sensing of foreign viral DNA to show how these two responses are related. - Highlights: • HSV lytic and latent gene expression is regulated differentially by epigenetic processes. • The sensors of foreign DNA have not been defined fully. • IFI16 and cGAS cooperate to sense viral DNA in HSV-infected cells. • IFI16 plays a role in both innate sensing of HSV DNA and in restricting its expression.

• OSTI ID: 22470165
• Journal Information: Virology, Journal Name: Virology Vol. 479-480; ISSN VIRLAX; ISSN 0042-6822
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
DNA
GENES
HERPES SIMPLEX
HETEROCHROMATIN
HISTONES
IMMUNITY
REVIEWS
SIGNALS
VIRUSES