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The family Herpesviridae contains three subfamilies: Alphaherpesvirinae, Betaherpesvirinae, and Gammaherpesvirinae. , The eight known human herpesviruses are represented in six genera, which are shown with the typical characteristics of the subfamilies in Table 203.1 .
Subfamily | Characteristics | Genus | Member |
---|---|---|---|
Alphaherpesvirinae | Short reproductive cycle Efficient destruction of infected cells with release of viral progeny Rapid spread in culture Latency in sensory ganglia |
Simplexvirus Varicellovirus | Herpes simplex virus type 1 (human herpesvirus 1) Herpes simplex virus type 2 (human herpesvirus 2) |
Varicella-zoster virus (human herpesvirus 3) | |||
Betaherpesvirinae | Long reproductive cycle Slow cell-to-cell spread in culture Enlargement of infected cells Multiple nonganglionic sites of latency |
Cytomegalovirus | Cytomegalovirus (human herpesvirus 5) |
Roseolovirus | Human herpesvirus 6A Human herpesvirus 6B Human herpesvirus 7 |
||
Gammaherpesvirinae | Replication in lymphoblastoid cells Latency in lymphoid tissue Monocytes and B lymphocytes |
Lymphocryptovirus | Epstein-Barr virus (human herpesvirus 4) |
Rhadinovirus | Human herpesvirus 8 |
All members of the Herpesviridae family share several features ( Box 203.1 ), but the architecture of the virion best defines family membership. The typical herpes virion is roughly spherical and 150–200 nm in diameter. The virion consists of a core of linear, double-stranded DNA wrapped around a fibrillar core spool; an icosahedral capsid containing 162 capsomeres; a tegument layer of amorphous, asymmetrically distributed material surrounding the capsid; and a lipid-containing outer envelope containing multiple embedded glycoprotein protrusions.
Viral particle size: 150–200 nm.
More than 30 structural proteins.
Icosahedral nucleocapsid with 162 capsomers, 100 nm in diameter.
Surrounded by an envelope, acquired by budding through the inner lamella of the nuclear envelope.
Multiple surface projections are embedded in the envelope.
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