Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) evolves faster in cell culture than HSV-1 by generating greater genetic diversity.

ABSTRACT: Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively) are prevalent human pathogens of clinical relevance that establish long-life latency in the nervous system. They have been considered, along with the Herpesviridae family, to exhibit a low level of genetic diversity during viral replication. However, the high ability shown by these viruses to rapidly evolve under different selective pressures does not correlates with that presumed genetic stability. High-throughput sequencing has revealed that heterogeneous or plaque-purified populations of both serotypes contain a broad range of genetic diversity, in terms of number and frequency of minor genetic variants, both in vivo and in vitro. This is reminiscent of the quasispecies phenomenon traditionally associated with RNA viruses

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Munoz AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8389525 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature