What is it about?
When herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infects a cell, it reorganizes the cell’s nucleus (the compartment that stores DNA) to create an environment that supports viral replication. During infection, most normal cellular gene activity is shut down, yet the virus must efficiently produce and export its own genetic messages to survive. This study shows that small structures in the nucleus called nuclear speckles act as important control centers during this process. The virus’s earliest genes rely on these structures to be properly processed and transported out of the nucleus. At the same time, nuclear speckles themselves are reshaped by infection to support viral needs. These findings reveal that nuclear speckles are not passive sites, but dynamic hubs that regulate viral gene expression. Understanding this process provides new insight into how viruses hijack cellular machinery and may inform future antiviral strategies.
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Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This work reveals a unique path for early viral messages in the infected nucleus, and the involvement of the nuclear speckles in the export of the virus’s earliest genes, an essential step that determines whether infection successfully progresses. By identifying a specific nuclear pathway required for early viral genes, this research uncovers a new layer of regulation in host–virus interactions. Because many viruses rely on host RNA-processing and export machinery, these findings may have broader implications beyond HSV-1. More generally, the study reshapes our understanding of nuclear speckles as dynamic regulatory hubs that can be rapidly remodeled under stress or infection, highlighting their importance in gene regulation in both health and disease.
Perspectives
This project began with the goal to observe viral genes inside infected cells. Using a specific labeling approach, we noticed that the virus’s earliest genes localized to distinct nuclear structures, which we later identified as nuclear speckles. This unexpected observation sparked our curiosity and led us to explore the meaning and functional significance of this localization. For us, this work captures the excitement of looking closely, with our own eyes, at one of the most fundamental processes of life - gene expression. In this study, we were able to visualize both viral and host gene expression within the context of the cell’s nuclear organization. We hope this research encourages others to think about the nucleus not as static architecture, but as a dynamic structure that can be reshaped during stress, infection, and disease.
Yaron Shav-Tal
Bar-Ilan University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Nuclear speckles are regulatory hubs for viral and host mRNA expression during HSV-1 infection, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, February 2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2511555123.
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