scholarly journals Host Vesicle Fusion Proteins VAPB, Rab11b and Rab18 Contribute to HSV-1 Infectivity by Facilitating Egress through the Nuclear Membrane

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Saiz-Ros ◽  
Rafal Czapiewski ◽  
Andrew Stevenson ◽  
Ilaria Epifano ◽  
Selene K. Swanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Vesicle Fusion ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Nuclear Egress ◽  
Hsv 1

AbstractThe herpesvirus process of primary envelopment and de-envelopment as viral particles exit the nucleus has been for many years one of the least understood steps in the virus life cycle. Though viral proteins such as pUL31, pUL34, pUS3 and others are clearly important, these are likely insufficient for efficient fusion with the nuclear membrane. We postulated that host nuclear membrane proteins involved in virus nuclear egress would move from the inner to outer nuclear membranes due to membrane fusion events in primary envelopment and de-envelopment and then diffuse into the endoplasmic reticulum. Membrane fractions were prepared enriched in the nuclear envelope or the endoplasmic reticulum with and without HSV-1 infection and analyzed by mass spectrometry, revealing several vesicle fusion proteins as candidates in the viral nuclear egress pathway. Knockdown of three of these, VAPB, Rab11b, and Rab18, significantly reduced titers of released virus while yielding nuclear accumulation of encapsidated particles. Antibody staining revealed that VAPB visually accumulates in the inner nuclear membrane during HSV-1 infection. VAPB also co-localizes at early time points with the viral pUL34 protein known to be involved in nuclear egress. Most strikingly, VAPB was also observed on HSV-1 virus particles by immunogold labelling electron microscopy. Thus, these data reveal several new host cell vesicle fusion proteins involved in viral nuclear egress.Author SummaryHuman herpesviruses are associated with common human diseases such as chicken pox, shingles and mononucleosis and infect a wide range of animals making them economically important pathogens for livestock. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is most commonly associated with cold sores, but is also the leading cause of blindness by infection in the Western world. All herpesviruses share many aspects of infection. As large nuclear replicating dsDNA viruses with capsid sizes too large to use the nuclear pores to exit the nucleus, they have evolved a complex mechanism for envelopment and de-envelopment of primary herpesvirus particles, but this critical step in the virus lifecycle remains poorly understood. We have identified several host cell vesicle fusion proteins, VAPB, Rab11b and Rab18 that appear to contribute to this step in the HSV-1 life cycle. VAPB accumulates at the nuclear envelope with the HSV-1 pUL34 protein important for viral nuclear egress. Knockdown of any of these vesicle fusion proteins reduces viral titers, further arguing that they are important for nuclear egress. As there appears to be a specific subset of vesicle fusion proteins involved in viral egress, they could possibly represent novel targets for therapeutic interventions.

scholarly journals Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transitions upon herpes virus infection

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Wild ◽  
Andres Kaech ◽  
Elisabeth M. Schraner ◽  
Ladina Walser ◽  
Mathias Ackermann
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Golgi Complex ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Progeny Virus ◽  
Cytoplasmic Matrix ◽  
Outer Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Nuclear Membranes ◽  
Perinuclear Space ◽  
Hsv 1

Background: Herpesvirus capsids are assembled in the nucleus, translocated to the perinuclear space by budding, acquiring tegument and envelope, or released to the cytoplasm via impaired nuclear envelope. One model proposes that envelopment, “de-envelopment” and “re-envelopment” is essential for production of infectious virus. Glycoproteins gB/gH were reported to be essential for de-envelopment, by fusion of the “primary” envelope with the outer nuclear membrane. Yet, a high proportion of enveloped virions generated from genomes with deleted gB/gH were found in the cytoplasm and extracellular space, suggesting the existence of alternative exit routes.Methods: We investigated the relatedness between the nuclear envelope and membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, in cells infected with either herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) or a Us3 deletion mutant thereof, or with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, employing freezing technique protocols.Results:  The Golgi complex is a compact entity in a juxtanuclear position covered by a membrane on thecisface. Golgi membranes merge with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum forming an entity with the perinuclear space. All compartments contained enveloped virions. After treatment with brefeldin A, HSV-1 virions aggregated in the perinuclear space and endoplasmic reticulum, while infectious progeny virus was still produced.Conclusions: The data suggest that virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are intraluminally transported from the perinuclear space via Golgi -endoplasmic reticulum transitions into Golgi cisternae for packaging. Virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are infective like Us3 deletion mutants, which  accumulate in the perinuclear space. Therefore, i) de-envelopment followed by re-envelopment is not essential for production of infective progeny virus, ii) the process taking place at the outer nuclear membrane is budding not fusion, and iii) naked capsids gain access to the cytoplasmic matrix via impaired nuclear envelope as reported earlier.

scholarly journals Host Vesicle Fusion Protein VAPB Contributes to the Nuclear Egress Stage of Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) Replication

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Saiz-Ros ◽  
Rafal Czapiewski ◽  
Ilaria Epifano ◽  
Andrew Stevenson ◽  
Selene Swanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Virus Type ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus Type ◽  
Vesicle Fusion ◽  
Nuclear Egress ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

The primary envelopment/de-envelopment of Herpes viruses during nuclear exit is poorly understood. In Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1), proteins pUL31 and pUL34 are critical, while pUS3 and some others contribute; however, efficient membrane fusion may require additional host proteins. We postulated that vesicle fusion proteins present in the nuclear envelope might facilitate primary envelopment and/or de-envelopment fusion with the outer nuclear membrane. Indeed, a subpopulation of vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (VAPB), a known vesicle trafficking protein, was present in the nuclear membrane co-locating with pUL34. VAPB knockdown significantly reduced both cell-associated and supernatant virus titers. Moreover, VAPB depletion reduced cytoplasmic accumulation of virus particles and increased levels of nuclear encapsidated viral DNA. These results suggest that VAPB is an important player in the exit of primary enveloped HSV-1 virions from the nucleus. Importantly, VAPB knockdown did not alter pUL34, calnexin or GM-130 localization during infection, arguing against an indirect effect of VAPB on cellular vesicles and trafficking. Immunogold-labelling electron microscopy confirmed VAPB presence in nuclear membranes and moreover associated with primary enveloped HSV-1 particles. These data suggest that VAPB could be a cellular component of a complex that facilitates UL31/UL34/US3-mediated HSV-1 nuclear egress.

scholarly journals Lipid partitioning at the nuclear envelope controls membrane biogenesis

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (20) ◽  
pp. 3641-3657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Daniel Barbosa ◽  
Hiroshi Sembongi ◽  
Wen-Min Su ◽  
Susana Abreu ◽  
Fulvio Reggiori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Membrane Biogenesis ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Yeast Lipid

Partitioning of lipid precursors between membranes and storage is crucial for cell growth, and its disruption underlies pathologies such as cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. However, the mechanisms and signals that regulate this process are largely unknown. In yeast, lipid precursors are mainly used for phospholipid synthesis in nutrient-rich conditions in order to sustain rapid proliferation but are redirected to triacylglycerol (TAG) stored in lipid droplets during starvation. Here we investigate how cells reprogram lipid metabolism in the endoplasmic reticulum. We show that the conserved phosphatidate (PA) phosphatase Pah1, which generates diacylglycerol from PA, targets a nuclear membrane subdomain that is in contact with growing lipid droplets and mediates TAG synthesis. We find that cytosol acidification activates the master regulator of Pah1, the Nem1-Spo7 complex, thus linking Pah1 activity to cellular metabolic status. In the absence of TAG storage capacity, Pah1 still binds the nuclear membrane, but lipid precursors are redirected toward phospholipids, resulting in nuclear deformation and a proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum membrane. We propose that, in response to growth signals, activation of Pah1 at the nuclear envelope acts as a switch to control the balance between membrane biogenesis and lipid storage.

scholarly journals Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL34 Protein Regulates the Global Architecture of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Infected Cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumio Maeda ◽  
Jun Arii ◽  
Yoshitaka Hirohata ◽  
Yuhei Maruzuru ◽  
Naoto Koyanagi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Null Mutation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽  
Nuclear Egress ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT Upon herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection, the CD98 heavy chain (CD98hc) is redistributed around the nuclear membrane (NM), where it promotes viral de-envelopment during the nuclear egress of nucleocapsids. In this study, we attempted to identify the factor(s) involved in CD98hc accumulation and demonstrated the following: (i) the null mutation of HSV-1 UL34 caused specific dispersion throughout the cytoplasm of CD98hc and the HSV-1 de-envelopment regulators, glycoproteins B and H (gB and gH); (ii) as observed with CD98hc, gB, and gH, wild-type HSV-1 infection caused redistribution of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) markers calnexin and ERp57 around the NM, whereas the UL34-null mutation caused cytoplasmic dispersion of these markers; (iii) the ER markers colocalized efficiently with CD98hc, gB, and gH in the presence and absence of UL34 in HSV-1-infected cells; (iv) at the ultrastructural level, wild-type HSV-1 infection caused ER compression around the NM, whereas the UL34-null mutation caused cytoplasmic dispersion of the ER; and (v) the UL34-null mutation significantly decreased the colocalization efficiency of lamin protein markers of the NM with CD98hc and gB. Collectively, these results indicate that HSV-1 infection causes redistribution of the ER around the NM, with resulting accumulation of ER-associated CD98hc, gB, and gH around the NM and that UL34 is required for ER redistribution, as well as for efficient recruitment to the NM of the ER-associated de-envelopment factors. Our study suggests that HSV-1 induces remodeling of the global ER architecture for recruitment of regulators mediating viral nuclear egress to the NM. IMPORTANCE The ER is an important cellular organelle that exists as a complex network extending throughout the cytoplasm. Although viruses often remodel the ER to facilitate viral replication, information on the effects of herpesvirus infections on ER morphological integrity is limited. Here, we showed that HSV-1 infection led to compression of the global ER architecture around the NM, resulting in accumulation of ER-associated regulators associated with nuclear egress of HSV-1 nucleocapsids. We also identified HSV-1 UL34 as a viral factor that mediated ER remodeling. Furthermore, we demonstrated that UL34 was required for efficient targeting of these regulators to the NM. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a herpesvirus remodels ER global architecture. Our study also provides insight into the mechanism by which the regulators for HSV-1 nuclear egress are recruited to the NM, where this viral event occurs.

scholarly journals Nucleolin Is Required for Efficient Nuclear Egress of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Nucleocapsids

2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 2110-2121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Sagou ◽  
Masashi Uema ◽  
Yasushi Kawaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus Type ◽  
Viral Dna ◽  
Nuclear Egress ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT Herpesvirus nucleocapsids assemble in the nucleus and must cross the nuclear membrane for final assembly and maturation to form infectious progeny virions in the cytoplasm. It has been proposed that nucleocapsids enter the perinuclear space by budding through the inner nuclear membrane, and these enveloped nucleocapsids then fuse with the outer nuclear membrane to enter the cytoplasm. Little is known about the mechanism(s) for nuclear egress of herpesvirus nucleocapsids and, in particular, which, if any, cellular proteins are involved in the nuclear egress pathway. UL12 is an alkaline nuclease encoded by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and has been suggested to be involved in viral DNA maturation and nuclear egress of nucleocapsids. Using a live-cell imaging system to study cells infected by a recombinant HSV-1 expressing UL12 fused to a fluorescent protein, we observed the previously unreported nucleolar localization of UL12 in live infected cells and, using coimmunoprecipitation analyses, showed that UL12 formed a complex with nucleolin, a nucleolus marker, in infected cells. Knockdown of nucleolin in HSV-1-infected cells reduced capsid accumulation, as well as the amount of viral DNA resistant to staphylococcal nuclease in the cytoplasm, which represented encapsidated viral DNA, but had little effect on these viral components in the nucleus. These results indicated that nucleolin is a cellular factor required for efficient nuclear egress of HSV-1 nucleocapsids in infected cells.

scholarly journals Induction of a Massive Endoplasmic Reticulum and Perinuclear Space Expansion by Expression of Lamin B Receptor Mutants and the Related Sterol Reductases TM7SF2 and DHCR7

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 354-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Zwerger ◽  
Thorsten Kolb ◽  
Karsten Richter ◽  
Iakowos Karakesisoglou ◽  
Harald Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Reductase Activity ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Lamin B ◽  
Lamin B Receptor

Lamin B receptor (LBR) is an inner nuclear membrane protein involved in tethering the nuclear lamina and the underlying chromatin to the nuclear envelope. In addition, LBR exhibits sterol reductase activity. Mutations in the LBR gene cause two different human diseases: Pelger-Huët anomaly and Greenberg skeletal dysplasia, a severe chrondrodystrophy causing embryonic death. Our study aimed at investigating the effect of five LBR disease mutants on human cultured cells. Three of the tested LBR mutants caused a massive compaction of chromatin coincidental with the formation of a large nucleus-associated vacuole (NAV) in several human cultured cell lines. Live cell imaging and electron microscopy revealed that this structure was generated by the separation of the inner and outer nuclear membrane. During NAV formation, nuclear pore complexes and components of the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton complex were lost in areas of membrane separation. Concomitantly, a large number of smaller vacuoles formed throughout the cytoplasm. Notably, forced expression of the two structurally related sterol reductases transmembrane 7 superfamily member 2 and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase caused, even in their wild-type form, a comparable phenotype in susceptible cell lines. Hence, LBR mutant variants and sterol reductases can severely interfere with the regular organization of the nuclear envelope and the endoplasmic reticulum.

scholarly journals Yeast Nuclear Envelope Subdomains with Distinct Abilities to Resist Membrane Expansion

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1768-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Campbell ◽  
Alexander Lorenz ◽  
Keren L. Witkin ◽  
Thomas Hays ◽  
Josef Loidl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Budding Yeast ◽  
Phospholipid Biosynthesis ◽  
Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Nuclear Compartment ◽  
Round Shape ◽  
Nuclear Protrusion

Little is known about what dictates the round shape of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae nucleus. In spo7Δ mutants, the nucleus is misshapen, exhibiting a single protrusion. The Spo7 protein is part of a phosphatase complex that represses phospholipid biosynthesis. Here, we report that the nuclear protrusion of spo7Δ mutants colocalizes with the nucleolus, whereas the nuclear compartment containing the bulk of the DNA is unaffected. Using strains in which the nucleolus is not intimately associated with the nuclear envelope, we show that the single nuclear protrusion of spo7Δ mutants is not a result of nucleolar expansion, but rather a property of the nuclear membrane. We found that in spo7Δ mutants the peripheral endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane was also expanded. Because the nuclear membrane and the ER are contiguous, this finding indicates that in spo7Δ mutants all ER membranes, with the exception of the membrane surrounding the bulk of the DNA, undergo expansion. Our results suggest that the nuclear envelope has distinct domains that differ in their ability to resist membrane expansion in response to increased phospholipid biosynthesis. We further propose that in budding yeast there is a mechanism, or structure, that restricts nuclear membrane expansion around the bulk of the DNA.

scholarly journals The Primary Enveloped Virion of Herpes Simplex Virus 1: Its Role in Nuclear Egress

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Newcomb ◽  
Juan Fontana ◽  
Dennis C. Winkler ◽  
Naiqian Cheng ◽  
J. Bernard Heymann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Nuclear Membrane ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Weak Interactions ◽  
Nuclear Pore ◽  
Nuclear Egress ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Perinuclear Space ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACTMany viruses migrate between different cellular compartments for successive stages of assembly. The HSV-1 capsid assembles in the nucleus and then transfers into the cytoplasm. First, the capsid buds through the inner nuclear membrane, becoming coated with nuclear egress complex (NEC) protein. This yields a primary enveloped virion (PEV) whose envelope fuses with the outer nuclear membrane, releasing the capsid into the cytoplasm. We investigated the associated molecular mechanisms by isolating PEVs from US3-null-infected cells and imaging them by cryo-electron microscopy and tomography. (pUS3 is a viral protein kinase in whose absence PEVs accumulate in the perinuclear space.) Unlike mature extracellular virions, PEVs have very few glycoprotein spikes. PEVs are ~20% smaller than mature virions, and the little space available between the capsid and the NEC layer suggests that most tegument proteins are acquired later in the egress pathway. Previous studies have proposed that NEC is organized as hexamers in honeycomb arrays in PEVs, but we find arrays of heptameric rings in extracts from US3-null-infected cells. In a PEV, NEC contacts the capsid predominantly via the pUL17/pUL25 complexes which are located close to the capsid vertices. Finally, the NEC layer dissociates from the capsid as it leaves the nucleus, possibly in response to pUS3-mediated phosphorylation. Overall, nuclear egress emerges as a process driven by a program of multiple weak interactions.IMPORTANCEOn its maturation pathway, the newly formed HSV-1 nucleocapsid must traverse the nuclear envelope, while respecting the integrity of that barrier. Nucleocapsids (125 nm in diameter) are too large to pass through the nuclear pore complexes that conduct most nucleocytoplasmic traffic. It is now widely accepted that the process involves envelopment/de-envelopment of a key intermediate—the primary enveloped virion. In wild-type infections, PEVs are short-lived, which has impeded study. Using a mutant that accumulates PEVs in the perinuclear space, we were able to isolate PEVs in sufficient quantity for structural analysis by cryo-electron microscopy and tomography. The findings not only elucidate the maturation pathway of an important human pathogen but also have implications for cellular processes that involve the trafficking of large macromolecular complexes.

scholarly journals Different subcellular localization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HMG-CoA reductase isozymes at elevated levels corresponds to distinct endoplasmic reticulum membrane proliferations.

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 769-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
A J Koning ◽  
C J Roberts ◽  
R L Wright
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Subcellular Localization ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Hmg Coa Reductase ◽  
Endogenous Expression ◽  
Coa Reductase ◽  
Er Membrane

In all eucaryotic cell types analyzed, proliferations of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be induced by increasing the levels of certain integral ER proteins. One of the best characterized of these proteins is HMG-CoA reductase, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in sterol biosynthesis. We have investigated the subcellular distributions of the two HMG-CoA reductase isozymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the types of ER proliferations that arise in response to elevated levels of each isozyme. At endogenous expression levels, Hmg1p and Hmg2p were both primarily localized in the nuclear envelope. However, at increased levels, the isozymes displayed distinct subcellular localization patterns in which each isozyme was predominantly localized in a different region of the ER. Specifically, increased levels of Hmg1p were concentrated in the nuclear envelope, whereas increased levels of Hmg2p were concentrated in the peripheral ER. In addition, an Hmg2p chimeric protein containing a 77-amino acid lumenal segment from Hmg1p was localized in a pattern that resembled that of Hmg1p when expressed at increased levels. Reflecting their different subcellular distributions, elevated levels of Hmg1p and Hmg2p induced sets of ER membrane proliferations with distinct morphologies. The ER membrane protein, Sec61p, was localized in the membranes induced by both Hmg1p and Hmg2p green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions. In contrast, the lumenal ER protein, Kar2p, was present in Hmg1p:GFP membranes, but only rarely in Hmg2p:GFP membranes. These results indicated that the membranes synthesized in response to Hmg1p and Hmg2p were derived from the ER, but that the membranes were not identical in protein composition. We determined that the different types of ER proliferations were not simply due to quantitative differences in protein amounts or to the different half-lives of the two isozymes. It is possible that the specific distributions of the two yeast HMG-CoA reductase isozymes and their corresponding membrane proliferations may reveal regions of the ER that are specialized for certain branches of the sterol biosynthetic pathway.

scholarly journals Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transitions upon herpes virus infection

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Wild ◽  
Andres Kaech ◽  
Elisabeth M. Schraner ◽  
Ladina Walser ◽  
Mathias Ackermann
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Golgi Complex ◽  
Progeny Virus ◽  
Perinuclear Space ◽  
Exit Route ◽  
Scanning Electron ◽  
Hsv 1

Background: Herpesvirus capsids are assembled in the nucleus before they are translocated to the perinuclear space by budding, acquiring tegument and envelope, or releasing to the cytoplasm in a “naked” state via impaired nuclear envelope. One model proposes that envelopment, “de-envelopment” and “re-envelopment” are essential steps for production of infectious virus. Glycoproteins gB/gH were reported to be essential for de-envelopment, by fusion of the “primary” envelope with the outer nuclear membrane. Yet, a high proportion of enveloped virions generated from genomes with deleted gB/gH were found in the cytoplasm and extracellular space, suggesting the existence of an alternative exit route.Methods: We investigated the relatedness between the nuclear envelope and membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, in cells infected with either herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) or a Us3 deletion mutant thereof, or with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, employing freezing technique protocols that lead to improved spatial and temporal resolution.Results: Scanning electron microscopy showed the Golgi complex as a compact entity in a juxtanuclear position covered by a membrane on thecisface. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Golgi membranes merge with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum forming an entity with the perinuclear space. All compartments contained enveloped virions. After treatment with brefeldin A, HSV-1 virions aggregated in the perinuclear space and endoplasmic reticulum, while infectious progeny virus was still produced.Conclusions: The data strongly suggest that virions are intraluminally transported from the perinuclear space via Golgi complex-endoplasmic reticulum transitions into Golgi cisternae for packaging into transport vacuoles. Furthermore, virions derived by budding at nuclear membranes are infective as has been shown for HSV-1 Us3 deletion mutants, which almost entirely accumulate in the perinuclear space. Therefore, de-envelopment followed by re-envelopment is not essential for production of infective progeny virus.

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