Us3, a Multifunctional Protein Kinase Encoded by Herpes Simplex Virus 1: How Does It Function In Vivo?

Phosphorylation is a common protein modification by which a cell or virus regulates protein activity, and subsequently cellular and viral functions. Herpesviruses commonly encode protein kinases that regulate their own replicative processes and modify host cellular machinery, by phosphorylating target proteins. Although numerous studies have revealed the multiple downstream effects of viral protein kinases and their potential molecular mechanisms, it remains unknown whether herpes viral protein kinases are involved in viral replication and pathogenicity in vivo. This review focuses on Us3 protein kinase encoded by herpes simplex virus 1 and provides a current overview of its functions in infected cells, with a special focus on their relevancy in vivo.