Herpesvirus genomes also contain multiple repeated sequences and depending on the number of these, genome size of various isolates of a particular virus can vary by up to 10kbp. Prior to this, the HSV genome had been mapped extensively by a large number of t.s. Human infection is virtually universal - most adults are seropositive. The HSV envelope contains at least 9 glycoproteins . Most of these appear to be individually dispensable for infectivity.
Fusion deposits the capsid in the cytoplasm, where it migrates to the nucleus .
The core enters via a nuclear pore where the genome is circularized. Transcription of the large, complex genome is sequentially regulated in a cascade fashion. Synthesis of early gene products turns off IE products and initiates genome replication. Both IE and E proteins are required for genome replication. The pattern of replication is complex, involving at least 3 potential origins of replication, and resulting in the formation of high molecular weight DNA concatemers.