Tour de Herpes: Cycling Through the Life and Biology of HSV-1

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a prevalent and important human pathogen that has been studied in a wide variety of contexts. This book provides protocols currently in use in leading laboratories in many fields of HSV-1 research. This introductory chapter gives a brief overview of HSV-1 biology and life cycle, covering basic aspects of virus structure, the prevalence of and diseases caused by the virus, replication in cultured cells, viral latency, antiviral defenses, and the mechanisms that the virus uses to counteract these defenses.