In mammals, infection of mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) induces acetylation of the tumor suppressor p53 at Lys379, which is indispensable for the transcriptional activation of p53-dependent genes in response to viral infection and replication (26). This evidence concerns the gene TP53 and infection.