Latency Strategies of Alphaherpesviruses: Herpes Simplex Virus and Varicella-Zoster Virus Latency in Neurons
Abstract
Members of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily of the Herpesviridae family establish latent infections primarily in sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system. Other general features differentiating these viruses from other herpesviruses include a relatively short reproductive cycle, rapid spread in culture, efficient destruction of infected cells, and a variable host range (reviewed in Roizman and Pellet, 2001; Whitley, 2001). In this chapter, we discuss the pathogenesis of two human alphaherpesviruses, herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus, with the main objective being to review the large body of information available about the mechanisms by which these alphaherpesviruses establish latency in neurons and periodically reactivate to produce infectious virus
