Cellular gene induction during herpes simplex virus infection can occur without viral protein synthesis.

Infection of cultured cells with herpes simplex virus (HSV) results in the transcriptional induction of a small number of cellular genes. Although the majority of such genes are dependent upon viral protein synthesis for their induction, a small minority are not. These genes are induced by events occurring prior to the onset of viral protein synthesis, in particular by binding of the virus to the cell surface and cellular entry of the virion. The significance of such cellular gene induction early in viral infection is discussed in terms of virus-cell interaction in general and the mechanism of transformation by HSV in particular.