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Pathogen Page

Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2

I. General Information

1. NCBI Taxonomy ID:

2. Disease:

Herpes

3. Introduction

Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), also known as Human herpes virus 1 and 2 (HHV-1 and -2), are two members of the herpes virus family, Herpesviridae, that infect humans. Both HSV-1 and -2 are ubiquitous and contagious. They can be spread when an infected person is producing and shedding the virus. Symptoms of herpes simplex virus infection include watery blisters in the skin or mucous membranes of the mouth, lips or genitals. Lesions heal with a scab characteristic of herpetic disease. However, as neurotropic and neuroinvasive viruses, HSV-1 and -2 persist in the body for the life of the carrier by becoming latent and hiding from the immune system in the cell bodies of nerves. After the initial or primary infection, some infected people experience sporadic episodes of viral reactivation or outbreaks. In an outbreak, the virus in a nerve cell becomes active and is transported via the nerve's axon to the skin, where virus replication and shedding occur and cause new sores.
There is no known cure for HSV infection, but treatments can reduce the likelihood of viral shedding and spread (Wiki: Herpes simplex virus).

4. Microbial Pathogenesis

In the case of a herpes virus, initial interactions occur when a viral envelope glycoprotein called glycoprotein C (gC) binds to a cell surface particle called heparan sulfate. A second glycoprotein, glycoprotein D (gD), binds specifically to at least one of three known entry receptors. These include herpesvirus entry mediator(HVEM), nectin-1 and 3-O sulfated heparan sulfate. The receptor provides a strong, fixed attachment to the host cell. These interactions bring the membrane surfaces into mutual proximity and allow for other glycoproteins embedded in the viral envelope to interact with other cell surface molecules. HSVs may persist in a quiescent but persistent form known as latent infection, notably in neural ganglia. HSV-1 tends to reside in the trigeminal ganglia, while HSV-2 tends to reside in the sacral ganglia, but note that these are tendencies only, not fixed behavior (Wiki: Herpes simplex virus).

5. Host Ranges and Animal Models

HSV-1 and HSV-2 infect humans and mice are used as a model of protection in vaccine studies (Nass et al., 1998).

6. Host Protective Immunity

HSV evades the immune system through interference with MHC class I presentation of antigen on the cell surface. This is achieved through blockade of the TAP transporter induced by the secretion of ICP-47 by HSV. TAP maintains the integrity of the MHC class I molecule before it is transported via the golgi apparatus for recognition by CD8+ CTLs on the cell surface. ICP-47 disrupts this integrity, preventing the capture of cytosolic proteins for CTL recognition and thus evades CTL destruction (Wiki: Herpes simplex virus).

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