Herpes simplex virus pUL56 abolishes neuronal activity by removing voltage-gated ion channels from the plasma membrane

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections of the central nervous system cause encephalitis and are associated with increased risk of neurodegeneration, yet the molecular consequences of lytic infection in human neurons remain incompletely defined. We map the transcriptomic, proteomic, and surface-proteome changes induced by HSV-1 across the lytic infection cycle in human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cortical glutamatergic neurons. HSV-1 drives extensive plasma-membrane remodeling, including the removal of voltage-gated sodium, potassium, and calcium channels, resulting in a profound loss of synchronous calcium signaling. We identify the viral ubiquitin-ligase adaptor pUL56 as the principal effector of this process: pUL56-dependent degradation of ion channels abolishes coordinated calcium signaling, whereas mutation of its E3-ligase–binding motifs preserves synchrony. Furthermore, expression of pUL56 alone is sufficient to abolish neuronal electrical activity. These findings establish pUL56 as a potent viral suppressor of neuronal excitability.