The results of this study show that the synthesis of the inner mitochondrial membrane phospholipid, cardiolipin, is markedly inhibited following infection of human embryonic lung or hamster embryo fibroblast cells with herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2. The synthesis of other phospholipids, i.e., phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamme, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylinositol, is relatively unaffected.