We found that pERK levels increase minimally as early as 30 minutes post-infection and then drop by 2.5 h before beginning a continual rise until cell lysis, 48–72 h p.i. Sharma-Walia et al. showed that the addition of soluble KSHV viral envelope glycoprotein B (gB) to cultured fibroblasts or endothelial cells results in a rapid, but transient induction of ERK phosphorylation. This evidence concerns the gene MAPK1 and infection.