Major Virion Tegument Protein VP22 Targets Nuclear Matrix and Chromatin upon Entry into Cells during Productive Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection.

HSV-1 major tegument protein VP22 is present in multiple subcellular locations in the late stages of productive viral infection. We initially performed a detailed time course experiment and observed that VP22 was detected in nuclear and nuclear matrix fractions as early as 4 hpi. The goal was to determine the fate of virion-derived incoming VP22, and we report the following: (i) VP22 was detected in nuclear matrix fractions 1 hpi.