Evasion of adaptive and innate immune response mechanisms by γ-herpesviruses

•We discuss current knowledge of immune evasion strategies used by γ-herpesviruses.•Strategies are optimized to support acute, lytic and long-term, latent infection.•Innate and adaptive immune responses are both exploited and inhibited.•Divergent and co-evolutionary strategies are evident within the family.•We predict this evolving field will continue to yield new and exciting information.

γ-Herpesviral immune evasion mechanisms are optimized to support the acute, lytic and the longterm, latent phase of infection. During acute infection, specific immune modulatory proteins limit, but also exploit, the antiviral activities of cell intrinsic innate immune responses as well as those of innate and adaptive immune cells. During latent infection, a restricted gene expression program limits immune targeting and cis-acting mechanisms to reduce the antigen presentation as well as antigenicity of latency-associated proteins. Here, we will review recent progress in our understanding of γ-herpesviral immune evasion strategies.