Recombinant Herpes Simplex Virus Research Articles

Exogenous non-coding dsDNA-dependent trans-activation of phagocytes augments anti-tumor immunity

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-dependent signaling is requisite for effective anti-microbial and anti-tumor activity. STING signaling is commonly defective in cancer cells, which enables tumor cells to evade the immunosurveillance system. We evaluate here whether intrinsic STING signaling in such tumor cells could be reconstituted by creating recombinant herpes simplex viruses (rHSVs) that express components of the STING signaling pathway. We observe that rHSVs expressing STING and/or cGAS replicate inefficiently yet retain invivo anti-tumor activity, independent of oncolytic activity requisite on the trans-activation of extrinsic STING signaling in phagocytes by engulfed microbial dsDNA species. Accordingly, the invivo effects of virotherapy could be simulated by nanoparticles incorporating non-coding dsDNA species, which comparably elicit the trans-activation of phagocytes and augment the efficacy of established cancer treatments including checkpoint inhibition and radiation therapy. Our results help elucidate mechanisms of virotherapeutic anti-tumor activity as well as provide alternate strategies to treat cancer.

Neuronal miR-9 promotes HSV-1 epigenetic silencing and latency by repressing Oct-1 and Onecut family genes

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) latent infection entails repression of viral lytic genes in neurons. By functional screening using luciferase-expressing HSV-1, we identify ten neuron-specific microRNAs potentially repressing HSV-1 neuronal replication. Transfection of miR-9, the most active candidate from the screen, decreases HSV-1 replication and gene expression in Neuro-2a cells. Ectopic expression of miR-9 from lentivirus or recombinant HSV-1 suppresses HSV-1 replication in male primary mouse neurons in culture and mouse trigeminal ganglia in vivo, and reactivation from latency in the primary neurons. Target prediction and validation identify transcription factors Oct-1, a known co-activator of HSV transcription, and all three Onecut family members as miR-9 targets. Knockdown of ONECUT2 decreases HSV-1 yields in Neuro-2a cells. Overexpression of each ONECUT protein increases HSV-1 replication in Neuro-2a cells, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons, and primary mouse neurons, and accelerates reactivation from latency in the mouse neurons. Mutagenesis, ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, ChIP-qPCR and ATAC-seq results suggest that ONECUT2 can nonspecifically bind to viral genes via its CUT domain, globally stimulate viral gene transcription, reduce viral heterochromatin and enhance the accessibility of viral chromatin. Thus, neuronal miR-9 promotes viral epigenetic silencing and latency by targeting multiple host transcription factors important for lytic gene activation.

Analysis of antiviral drug properties of thymidine kinase of herpes B virus using recombinant herpes simplex virus 1.

Zoonotic infection of humans with herpes B virus (BV) causes severe neurological diseases. Acyclovir (ACV) and ganciclovir (GCV), most frequently used as anti-herpes drugs, are recommended for prophylaxis and therapy in human BV infection. In this study, we examined the property of BV thymidine kinase (TK) against anti-herpes drugs using a recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) carrying BV TK gene. We found that HSV-1 carrying BV TK was similarly sensitive to GCV as HSV-1 carrying varicella zoster virus TK. In addition, we demonstrated that BV TK was not mutated in the GCV- and ACV-resistant HSV-1 carrying BV TK, suggesting that ACV- or GCV-resistant BV might be rare during treatment with these antiviral drugs. These data can provide a new insight into the properties of BV TK in terms of the development of drug resistance.

The expression and function of HSV ICP47 and its promoter in mice.

Immune evasion and latency are key mechanisms that underlie the success of herpesviruses. In each case, interactions between viral and host proteins are required and due to co-evolution, not all mechanisms are preserved across host species, even if infection is possible. This is highlighted by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) protein immediate early-infected cell protein (ICP)47, which inhibits the detection of infected cells by killer T cells and acts with high efficiency in humans, but poorly, if at all in mouse cells. Here, we show that ICP47 retains modest but detectable function in mouse cells, but in an in vivo model we found no role during acute infection or latency. We also explored the activity of the ICP47 promoter, finding that it could be active during latency, but this was dependent on genome location. These results are important to interpret HSV pathogenesis work done in mice.

Combination of novel oncolytic herpesvirus with paclitaxel as an efficient strategy for breast cancer therapy.

New strategies are needed to improve the treatment of patients with breast cancer (BC). Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising new tool for cancer treatment but still has a limited overall durable antitumor response. A novel replicable recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 called VG161 has been developed and has demonstrated antitumor effects in several cancers. Here, we explored the efficacy and the antitumor immune response of VG161 cotreatment with paclitaxel (PTX) which as a novel oncolytic viral immunotherapy for BC. The antitumor effect of VG161 and PTX was confirmed in a BC xenograft mouse model. The immunostimulatory pathways were tested by RNA-seq and the remodeling of tumor microenvironment was detected by Flow cytometry analysis or Immunohistochemistry. Pulmonary lesions were analyzed by the EMT6-Luc BC model. In this report, we demonstrate that VG161 can significantly represses BC growth and elicit a robust antitumor immune response in a mouse model. The effect is amplified when combined with PTX treatment. The antitumor effect is associated with the infiltration of lymphoid cells, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and NK cells (expressing TNF and IFN-γ), and myeloid cells, including macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and dendritic cell cells. Additionally, VG161 cotreatment with PTX showed a significant reduction in BC lung metastasis, which may result from the enhanced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell-mediated responses. The combination of PTX and VG161 is effective for repressing BC growth by inducing proinflammatory changes in the tumor microenvironment and reducing BC pulmonary metastasis. These data will provide a new strategy and valuable insight for oncolytic virus therapy applications in primary solid or metastatic BC tumors.

Response to HIV-1 gp160-carrying recombinant virus HSV-1 and HIV-1 VLP combined vaccine in BALB/c mice.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) induced AIDS causes a large number of infections and deaths worldwide every year, still no vaccines are available to prevent infection. Recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vector-based vaccines coding the target proteins of other pathogens have been widely used for disease control. Here, a recombinant virus with HIV-1 gp160 gene integration into the internal reverse (IR) region-deleted HSV-1 vector (HSV-BAC), was obtained by bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology, and its immunogenicity investigated in BALB/c mice. The result showed similar replication ability of the HSV-BAC-based recombinant virus and wild type. Furthermore, humoral and cellular immune response showed superiority of intraperitoneal (IP) administration, compared to intranasally (IN), subcutaneous (SC) and intramuscularly (IM), that evidenced by production of significant antibody and T cell responses. More importantly, in a prime-boost combination study murine model, the recombinant viruses prime followed by HIV-1 VLP boost induced stronger and broader immune responses than single virus or protein vaccination in a similar vaccination regimen. Antibody production was sufficient with huge potential for viral clearance, along with efficient T-cell activation, which were evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry (FC). Overall, these findings expose the value of combining different vaccine vectors and modalities to improve immunogenicity and breadth against different HIV-1 antigens.

Targeting carcinoembryonic antigen-expressing tumors using a novel transcriptional and translational dual-regulated oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1

VG2025 is a recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) that uses transcriptional and translational dual regulation (TTDR) of critical viral genes to enhance virus safety and promote tumor-specific virus replication without reducing virulence. The TTDR platform is based on transcriptional control of the essential HSV-1 immediate-early protein ICP27 using a tumor-specific carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) promoter, coupled with translational control of the neurovirulence factor ICP34.5 using multiple microRNA (miR)-binding sites. VG2025 further incorporates IL-12 and the IL-15/IL-15 receptor alpha subunit complex to enhance the antitumor and immune stimulatory properties of oncolytic HSVs. The TTDR strategy was verified invitro and shown to be highly selective. Strong invivo antitumor efficacy was observed following both intratumoral and intravenous administration. Clear abscopal and immune memory effects were also evident, indicating a robust antitumor immune response. Gene expression profiling of treated tumors revealed increased immune cell infiltration and activation of multiple immune-signaling pathways when compared with the backbone virus. Absence of neurotoxicity was verified in mice and in rhesus monkeys. Taken together, the enhanced tumor clearance, excellent safety profile, and positive correlation between CEA levels and viral replication efficiency may provide an opportunity for using biomarker-based precision medicine in oncolytic virotherapy.

An Adenovirus-Based Recombinant Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) Therapeutic Vaccine Is Highly Protective against Acute and Recurrent HSV-2 Disease in a Guinea Pig Model

Genital herpes (GH) has become one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide, and it is spreading rapidly in developing countries. Approximately 90% of GH cases are caused by HSV-2. Therapeutic HSV-2 vaccines are intended for people already infected with HSV-2 with the goal of reducing clinical recurrences and recurrent virus shedding. In our previous work, we evaluated recombinant adenovirus-based vaccines, including rAd-gD2ΔUL25, rAd-ΔUL25, and rAd-gD2, for their potency as prophylactic vaccines. In this study, we evaluated these three vaccines as therapeutic vaccines against acute and recurrent diseases in intravaginal challenged guinea pigs. Compared with the control groups, the recombinant vaccine rAd-gD2ΔUL25 induced a higher titer of the binding antibody, and rAd-gD2 + rAd-ΔUL25 induced a higher titer of the neutralizing antibody. Both rAd-gD2ΔUL25 and rAd-gD2 + rAd-ΔUL25 vaccines significantly enhanced the survival rate by 50% compared to rAd-gD2 and reduced viral replication in the genital tract and recurrent genital skin disease. Our findings provide a new perspective for HSV-2 therapeutic vaccine research and provide a new technique to curtail the increasing spread of HSV-2.

European Pharmacopoeia's Approach to Cell and Gene Therapy: Focus on How Gene Therapy Texts Are Evolving.

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) constitutes single recognised common standard for the quality control of medicines in Europe, which is also applied in many countries worldwide. In 2000, the European Pharmacopoeia Commission (EPC), the decision-making body of the Ph. Eur., set out to elaborate a text on gene therapy products. This resulted in the publication of the widely used and much appreciated general chapter Gene transfer medicinal products for human use (5.14) in 2006, at a time when no gene therapy medicinal products were yet approved on the European market. As a general chapter, it is not legally binding, but it reflects the consensus of the European authorities. Now, more than two decades after the first initiative in the gene therapy field and with several gene therapy medicinal products launched in Europe, the EPC proposes a modernised approach and the creation of a general monograph, i.e. a legally binding standard. In addition to general requirements for gene therapy medicinal products, it is also envisaged that this general monograph will outline specific criteria for the classes of products already on the market, i.e. genetically modified human autologous cells, adeno-associated virus vectors for human use and recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex viruses for human use. It is also proposed to create a new general chapter, Additional information on gene therapy medicinal products for human use (5.34), comprising the remaining sections of Chap. 5.14, as well as a newly elaborated section on genetically modified bacterial cells.

VG161 activates systemic antitumor immunity in pancreatic cancer models as a novel oncolytic herpesvirus expressing multiple immunomodulatory transgenes.

The VG161 represents the first recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 carrying multiple synergistic antitumor immuno-modulating factors. Here, we report its antitumor mechanisms and thus provide firm theoretical foundation for the upcoming clinical application in pancreatic cancer. Generally, the VG161-mediated antitumor outcomes were analyzed by a collaboration of techniques, namely the single-cell sequencing, airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (AFADSI-MSI) and nanostring techniques. In vitro, the efficacy of VG161 together with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been successfully shown to grant a long-term antitumor effect by altering tumor immunity and remodeling tumor microenvironment (TME) metabolisms. Cellular functional pathways and cell subtypes detected from patient samples before and after the treatment had undergone distinctive changes including upregulated CD8+ Tand natural killer cells. More importantly, significant antitumor signals have emerged since the administration of VG161 injection. In conclusion, VG161 can systematically activate acquired and innate immunity in pancreatic models, as well as improve the tumor immune microenvironment, indicative of strong antitumor potential. The more robusting antitumor outcome for VG161 monotherapy or in combination with other therapies on pancreatic cancer is worth of being explored in further clinical trials.

Teserpaturev/G47Δ: First Approval.

Teserpaturev/G47Δ (Delytact®) is a third-generation (triple-mutated) recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 being developed by Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. for the treatment of certain solid cancers. Teserpaturev/G47Δ has been approved for the treatment of malignant glioma in Japan and is currently in clinical development for the treatment of prostate cancer (phase II), malignant pleural mesothelioma (phase I) and recurrent olfactory neuroblastoma (phase I). This article summarizes the milestones in the development of teserpaturev/G47Δ leading to this first approval for the treatment of malignant glioma.

Efficacy of cancer-specific anti-podoplanin CAR-T cells and oncolytic herpes virus G47Δ combination therapy against glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a devastating malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis despite standard therapy. Podoplanin (PDPN), a type I transmembrane mucin-like glycoprotein that is overexpressed in various cancers, is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of glioblastoma. We previously reported the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells using an anti-pan-PDPN monoclonal antibody (mAb; NZ-1)-based third-generation CAR in a xenograft mouse model. However, NZ-1 also reacted with PDPN-expressing normal cells, such as lymphatic endothelial cells, pulmonary alveolar type I cells, and podocytes. To overcome possible on-target-off-tumor effects, we produced a cancer-specific mAb (CasMab, LpMab-2)-based CAR. LpMab-2 (Lp2) reacted with PDPN-expressing cancer cells but not with normal cells. In this study, Lp2-CAR-transduced T cells (Lp2-CAR-T) specifically targeted PDPN-expressing glioma cells while sparing the PDPN-expressing normal cells. Lp2-CAR-T also killed patient-derived glioma stem cells, demonstrating its clinical potential against glioblastoma. Systemic injection of Lp2-CAR-T cells inhibited the growth of a subcutaneous glioma xenograft model in immunodeficient mice. Combination therapy with Lp2-CAR-T and oncolytic virus G47Δ, a third-generation recombinant herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1, further inhibited the tumor growth and improved survival. These findings indicate that the combination therapy of Lp2-CAR-T cells and G47Δ may be a promising approach to treat glioblastoma.

CRISPR-Cas9 expressed in stably transduced cell lines promotes recombination and selects for herpes simplex virus recombinants

Recombinant herpes simplex virus strains can be constructed by several methods, including homologous recombination, bacterial artificial chromosome manipulation, and yeast genetic methods. Homologous recombination may have the advantage of introducing fewer genetic alterations in the viral genome, but the low level of recombinants can make this method more time consuming if there is no screen or selection. In this study we used complementing cell lines that express Cas9 and guide RNAs targeting the parental virus to rapidly generate recombinant viruses. Analysis of the progeny viruses indicated that CRISPR-Cas9 both promoted recombination to increase recombinant viruses and selected against parental viruses in the transfection progeny viruses. This approach can also be used to enrich for recombinants made by any of the current methods.

CRISPR-Cas9 Expressed in Stably Transduced Cell Lines Promotes Recombination and Selects for Herpes Simplex Virus Recombinants between Co-Transfected DNAs

CRISPR-Cas9 Expressed in Stably Transduced Cell Lines Promotes Recombination and Selects for Herpes Simplex Virus Recombinants between Co-Transfected DNAs

Attenuated Herpes simplex virus 1 vector expressing oncomodulin effectively allieviates mechanical optic nerve injury in rats

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of attenuated Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) vector expressing oncomodulin (OCM) for treatment of mechanical optic nerve injury in rats. The proliferation characteristics and OCM expression of the recombinant HSV-1 vector (1716-OCM) was assessed in cultured Vero cells. Twelve-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into control group, 1716-OCM injection group and wild-type virus corneal infection group, and at 7, 14, 30 and 60 days post-infection (3 rats in each group at each time point), the expressions of OCM and HSV-1 structural protein gB in the retina and the hypothalamus of the rats were detected using immunofluorescence assay. Another 20 rats were randomized into sham operation group, PBS treatment group, 1716-OCM infection group and 1716-OCM infection with cAMP sensitization group (n=5), and in the latter 3 groups, rat models of optic nerve injury models were established followed by intravitreal injection of PBS, 1716-OCM or cAMP as indicated. At 45 days after the treatments, the rats were examined for visual electrophysiological function using FVEP method, and the number of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the expression of myelin basic protein in the optic nerve were detected using immunofluorescence assay. The recombinant 1716-OCM vector was capable of mediating effective expression of OCM in Vero cells in vitro, but its proliferation rate was much lower than that of the wild-type virus. In SD rats, the recombinant virus could mediate the expression of OCM in the RGC layer and choroid layer of the eyes without inducing significant structural damage of the eyes as compared with the wild-type virus. In rat models of optic nerve injury, 1716-OCM combined with cAMP significantly promoted the survival of retinal RGCs (P= 0.007) and inhibited demyelination of the optic nerve (P=0.03) as compared with the mock treatment. FVEP analysis showed that 1716-OCM combined with cAMP significantly promoted the recovery of the peak amplitude of ΔN1-P1 in the rats (P < 0.0001). Attenuated recombinant 1716-OCM vector can mediate OCM expression in the retina of rats, and in rat models of mechanical optic nerve injury, intravitreal injection of 1716-OCM combined with cAMP can effectively alleviate optic nerve injuries.

Enhanced anti-tumor response elicited by a novel oncolytic HSV-1 engineered with an anti-PD-1 antibody.

Oncolytic viruses as cancer vaccines modulate the tumor microenvironment and act synergistically with immune checkpoint inhibitors to overcome resistance. Taking advantage of the loading capacity for exogenous genes, we generated a recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-aPD-1, carrying a full-length humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (anti-PD-1 mAb) that replicates and expresses anti-PD-1 mAbs in tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Its anti-tumor effect was assessed in human PD-1 knock-in mice by analyzing tumor inhibition, cell populations and RNA expression in tumors, and serum cytokine levels. Enhanced anti-tumor immune responses and T-cell infiltration were induced by HSV-aPD-1 compared with unloaded virus or anti-PD-1 therapy in both MC38 and B16-F10 models, resulting in improved treatment efficacy in the latter. Moreover, compared with unloaded HSV-1 or HSV-1 loaded with GM-CSF/IL-2 combined with anti-PD-1 mAbs, HSV-aPD-1 displayed similar therapeutic control of tumor growth. Finally, tumor RNAseq analysis in the B16-F10 model showed upregulated IFN pathway and antigen processing and presentation genes, and downregulated angiogenesis and cell adhesion genes, which all contribute to tumor inhibition. These findings indicate the clinical potential of HSV-aPD-1 as monotherapy or combination therapy, especially in tumors resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

A novel bioluminescent herpes simplex virus 1 for in vivo monitoring of herpes simplex encephalitis

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is responsible for herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE), associated with a 70% mortality rate in the absence of treatment. Despite intravenous treatment with acyclovir, mortality remains significant, highlighting the need for new anti-herpetic agents. Herein, we describe a novel neurovirulent recombinant HSV-1 (rHSV-1), expressing the fluorescent tdTomato and Gaussia luciferase (Gluc) enzyme, generated by the Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)—CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR-Cas9) system. The Gluc activity measured in the cell culture supernatant was correlated (P = 0.0001) with infectious particles, allowing in vitro monitoring of viral replication kinetics. A significant correlation was also found between brain viral titers and Gluc activity in plasma (R2 = 0.8510, P < 0.0001) collected from BALB/c mice infected intranasally with rHSV-1. Furthermore, evaluation of valacyclovir (VACV) treatment of HSE could also be performed by analyzing Gluc activity in mouse plasma samples. Finally, it was also possible to study rHSV-1 dissemination and additionally to estimate brain viral titers by in vivo imaging system (IVIS). The new rHSV-1 with reporter proteins is not only as a powerful tool for in vitro and in vivo antiviral screening, but can also be used for studying different aspects of HSE pathogenesis.

Antiviral susceptibility of recombinant Herpes simplex virus 1 strains with specific polymerase amino acid changes

Acyclovir (ACV) and penciclovir and their prodrugs are recommended for therapy or prophylaxis of Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections. Their administration, however, can lead to the emergence of resistant strains with altered viral thymidine kinase (TK) function, especially in immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, amino acid (aa) changes of the viral deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase (POL) may contribute to resistance to the aforementioned nucleoside analogues. Given this, treatment with foscarnet (FOS) or cidofovir (CDV) may represent an important alternative. Both drugs directly affect POL activity.Several aa changes of POL, such as L49I, E70K, L359I, E421V, P829S, T1121M, and M1226I, have been observed in ACV-resistant clinical strains which also carried relevant aa changes in their TK. Their contribution to ACV, FOS, and CDV resistance is not fully understood. In this study, these seven aa changes with unknown significance for ACV, FOS and CDV resistance were introduced separately into the POL of a recombinant HSV-1 strain rHSV-1(17+)Lox, equipped with or without information for expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP). The GFP-expressing variants were tested for susceptibility to ACV, FOS and CDV. An rHSV-1(17+)Lox GFP strain with the S724N change conferring resistance to ACV and FOS was generated and included as a control.Only the S724N change was confirmed to induce ACV and FOS resistance, whereas the other changes did not contribute to resistance. The underlying nucleotide substitutions of the POL gene should be therefore considered as natural polymorphism. These data will improve sequence-based prediction of antiviral susceptibility.

Characteristics of Helicase-Primase Inhibitor Amenamevir-Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus.

The antiherpetic drug amenamevir (AMNV) inhibits the helicase-primase complex of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, and varicella-zoster virus directly as well as inhibiting the replication of these viruses. Although several mutated HSV viruses resistant to helicase-primase inhibitors have been reported, the mutations contributing to the resistance remain unclear, as recombinant viruses containing a single mutation have not been analyzed. We obtained AMNV-resistant viruses with amino acid substitutions by several passages under AMNV treatment. Twenty HSV-1 and 19 HSV-2 mutants with mutation(s) in UL5 helicase and/or UL52 primase, but not in cofactor UL8, were isolated. The mutations in UL5 were located downstream of motif IV, with UL5 K356N in HSV-1 and K355N in HSV-2, in particular, identified as having the highest frequency, which was 9/20 and 9/19, respectively. We generated recombinant AMNV-resistant HSV-1 with a single amino acid substitution using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) mutagenesis. As a result, G352C in UL5 helicase and F360C/V and N902T in UL52 primase were identified as novel mutations. The virus with K356N in UL5 showed 10-fold higher AMNV resistance than did other mutants and showed equivalent viral growth in vitro and virulence in vivo as the parent HSV-1, although other mutants showed attenuated virulence. All recombinant viruses were susceptible to the other antiherpetic drugs, acyclovir and foscarnet. In conclusion, based on BAC mutagenesis, this study identified, for the first time, mutations in UL5 and UL52 that contributed to AMNV resistance and found that a mutant with the most frequent K356N mutation in HSV-1 maintained viral growth and virulence equivalent to the parent virus.

The herpesvirus accessory protein γ134.5 facilitates viral replication by disabling mitochondrial translocation of RIG-I.

RIG-I and MDA5 are cytoplasmic RNA sensors that mediate cell intrinsic immunity against viral pathogens. While it has been well-established that RIG-I and MDA5 recognize RNA viruses, their interactive network with DNA viruses, including herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), remains less clear. Using a combination of RNA-deep sequencing and genetic studies, we show that the γ134.5 gene product, a virus-encoded virulence factor, enables HSV growth by neutralization of RIG-I dependent restriction. When expressed in mammalian cells, HSV-1 γ134.5 targets RIG-I, which cripples cytosolic RNA sensing and subsequently suppresses antiviral gene expression. Rather than inhibition of RIG-I K63-linked ubiquitination, the γ134.5 protein precludes the assembly of RIG-I and cellular chaperone 14-3-3ε into an active complex for mitochondrial translocation. The γ134.5-mediated inhibition of RIG-I-14-3-3ε binding abrogates the access of RIG-I to mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) and activation of interferon regulatory factor 3. As such, unlike wild type virus HSV-1, a recombinant HSV-1 in which γ134.5 is deleted elicits efficient cytokine induction and replicates poorly, while genetic ablation of RIG-I expression, but not of MDA5 expression, rescues viral growth. Collectively, these findings suggest that viral suppression of cytosolic RNA sensing is a key determinant in the evolutionary arms race of a large DNA virus and its host.