Single-cell RNA-sequencing of Herpes simplex virus 1-infected cells identifies NRF2 activation as an antiviral program

We describe the viral gene expression cascade at the single-cell level, showing bifurcations and bottleneck states. Host gene expression changes are related to viral transcription. The role of cellular signaling pathways in infection is studied using trajectory analysis and the importance of the Nrf2 transcription factor studied in follow-up experiments. Overall design: Human primary fibroblasts were infected with HSV-1 and single-cell RNA-sequencing was performed at different early time points after infection.