FIG. 10.

Model of HSV attachment involving lipid rafts. Initial attachment of HSV is mediated through the interaction of gB and/or gC with HSPG. These interactions are likely to occur in nonraft domains, since gC and a fraction of gB are found in DSM. Then a specific interaction of gD with a cognate receptor (here, nectin-1) is essential for fusion to occur. Both gD and nectin-1 are excluded from rafts during attachment and throughout the entry process. However, a fraction of gB is associated with rafts from the moment of attachment and during entry. Such a distribution can be explained by the interaction of gB with an unknown receptor enriched in rafts. The size of the HSV virion (150 to 200 nm) would allow its envelope to interact with a plasma membrane region that can encompass at least one raft microdomain (70 nm).