Breach of the nuclear lamina during assembly of herpes simplex viruses

Beneath the inner nuclear membrane lies the dense meshwork of the nuclear lamina, which provides structural support for the nuclear envelope and serves as an important organizing center for a number of nuclear and cytoplasmic constituents and processes. Herpesviruses have a significant and wide-ranging impact on human health, and their capacity to replicate and cause disease includes events that occur in the host cell nucleus. Herpes viruses begin assembly of progeny virus in the nuclei of infected cells and their capsids must escape the confines of the nucleus by traversing the inner nuclear membrane (INM) to proceed with later stages of virion assembly and egress. Access of viral capsids to the INM thus necessitates disruption of the dense nuclear lamina. We review herpesvirus effects on the nuclear lamina and in particular the roles of the herpes simplex virus-encoded nuclear egress complex and viral kinases on phosphorylation and dissociation of lamina components, and nucleocapsid envelopment at the INM.