Figure 1.

Herpesviruses: Two fusion proteins expressed from RNAs identical at the 3’-terminus, namely the protease precursor (pPR) embedding assemblin and the assembly protein precursor (pAP). The major capsid protein binding domain (blue) ensures the formation of a complex with the capsid protein. This complex is recruited into the cell nucleus via its nuclear localization sequence (red). Association of capsid proteins mediates the dimerization of assemblin, leading to its autoactivation. The scaffold protein is proteolytically processed at the M and R sites. The intra-assemblin processing sites I and C have regulatory roles.