Molecular Mechanism of Herpesvirus Entry
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 10131
Special Issue Editors
Interests: herpesviruses; structural biology; protein biochemistry; virus entry; membrane fusion; pathogen-host interactions
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue is envisioned to synthesize the current knowledge highlighting the common and distinct features of the entry mechanism used by the members of the three herpesvirus subfamilies.
Herpesviruses deploy a versatile multi-component molecular machinery to enter host cells. The capsids carrying the genetic material are released into the cytosol following the fusion of the viral and cellular membranes that occurs at the level of the plasma membrane or in an endosomal compartment. This process is mediated by the three-part conserved core fusion machinery (CFM) composed of glycoproteins (GPs) B, H and L (gB, gH and gL). Each herpesvirus subfamily also utilizes a set of distinct GPs, some functioning as attachment factors, some as receptor-binding proteins, and some that have no assigned role yet. The CFM components may also serve as receptor-binding proteins. An additional confounding element is that, depending on the target cell, different entry complexes assemble at the viral surface, sometimes triggering fusion with the plasma membrane, and sometimes stimulating the cells to internalize the virus via endocytosis. Important advances have been made in obtaining structural information on the individual GPs and assemblies they make, but the mechanism by which the concerted action of the GPs and cellular receptors leads to membrane fusion and entry still remain elusive, in particular in the beta- and gamma-herpesvirus subfamilies.
In this issue, the spotlight will be on functional and structural studies aimed at the GP components of the entry complexes, molecular determinants of the cell tropism, novel herpesvirus receptors, and deployment of antibodies as tools for studying the entry mechanism. Early-career scientists and members of underrepresented groups in science are strongly encouraged to submit their work.
Dr. Marija Backovic
Dr. Alexander Hahn
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- herpesvirus
- membrane fusion
- viral entry
- pathogen–host interactions
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