Alphaherpesvirus use and misuse of cellular actin and cholesterol

Abstract

Two major structural elements of a cell are the cytoskeleton and the lipid membranes. Actin and cholesterol are key components of the cytoskeleton and membranes, respectively, and are involved in a plethora of different cellular processes. This review summarizes and discusses the interaction of alphaherpesviruses with actin and cholesterol during different stages of the replication cycle: virus entry, replication and assembly in the nucleus, and virus egress. Elucidating these interactions not only yields novel insights into the biology of these important pathogens, but may also shed new light on cell biological aspects of actin and cholesterol, and lead to novel avenues in the design of antiviral strategies.