Herpes simplex virus Research

Animations of steps of HSV Infection and Replication

To view the animations the Flash plug-in is required.

HSV structure (61 Kb)
HSV is a nuclear replicating, icosahedral, enveloped DNA virus.

Receptor Binding (89 Kb)
Herpes simplex virus genome must enter the cell for the initiation of infection.

RNA Transcription in Productive Infection (154 Kb)
The transcription of the HSV genome during productive infection occurs with cellular transcriptional machinery and viral promoters utilizing cellular transcription factor binding sites.....

Latent Infections (50 Kb)
Latent infection and reactivation by HSV takes place in sensory neurons, primarily in the trigeminal ganglia for HSV-1.....

DNA Replication (83 Kb)
HSV initiates rounds of DNA replication at one or all of the three origins of replication
(Ori 1, Ori 2, and Ori 3).....

Encapsidation and Nuclear Egress (136 Kb)
The procapsid proteins (UL18, UL19 and UL38) assemble around scaffolding proteins (UL26 and UL26.5) that are then digested away.....

Envelopment and Release (163 Kb)
Final release of the enveloped virion from the cell involves the virus being incorporated into exocytotic vesicles then released from the cell as free infectious virus.....

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Illustration and Flash animations by
Karin Christensen
Scientific, Medical and Veterinary Illustration.
Imagecyte.com

The animations are available for download for classroom teaching.