The A, B, Cs of Herpesvirus Capsids

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ritesh Tandon, University of Mississippi; Edward Mocarski, Emory University; James F. Conway, University of Pittsburgh
• Language: English
• Date: 2015-03-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v7030899
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Viruses
• ISSN: 1999-4915
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 899
• End Page: 914
• Grant/Funding Information: PHS grant (R01AI020211, PI: Mocarski), PHS grant (R01AI089803, PI: Conway) and American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant (Award 14SDG20390009, PI: Tandon) supported this research.
• Keywords: PP28 UL99; HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS REPLICATION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; CYTOPLASMIC COMPARTMENT; NUCLEAR EGRESS; VIRUS TYPE-1 CAPSIDS; SIMPLEX-VIRUS; Science & Technology; DISULFIDE BOND FORMATION; VIRION ASSEMBLY COMPLEX; PACKAGING MOTOR; Virology; GENE-PRODUCT
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology; Biology, Virology

Abstract

Assembly of herpesvirus nucleocapsids shares significant similarities with the assembly of tailed dsDNA bacteriophages; however, important differences exist. A unique feature of herpesviruses is the presence of different mature capsid forms in the host cell nucleus during infection. These capsid forms, referred to as A-, B-, and C-capsids, represent empty capsids, scaffold containing capsids and viral DNA containing capsids, respectively. The C-capsids are the closest in form to those encapsidated into mature virions and are considered precursors to infectious virus. The evidence supporting A- and B-capsids as either abortive forms or assembly intermediates has been lacking. Interaction of specific capsid forms with viral tegument proteins has been proposed to be a mechanism for quality control at the point of nuclear egress of mature particles. Here, we will review the available literature on these capsid forms and present data to debate whether A- and B-capsids play an important or an extraneous role in the herpesvirus life cycle.