Lori Frappier

In lytic infection, herpesviruses cause cells to arrest at the G 1 /S phase of the cell cycle in order to provide an optimal environment for viral replication; however, the mechanisms involved are not well understood. We have shown that the Epstein-Barr virus BORF2 protein and its homologue in herpes simplex virus 1 both induce G 1 /S, and do this by similar mechanisms which involve binding p53 and APOBEC3B and induction of p53.