title: Transcription of the human cytomegalovirus genome in productively infected cells.
abstract: Nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAs, synthesized in cells productively infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were analysed at various times after infection by liquid and filter DNA-RNA hybridization. Results of these experiments have revealed that: (i) the fraction of the genome transcribed increased as infection progressed. In the nucleus, transcripts represented approx. 20% of the virus DNA sequences at both 2 and 4 h post-infection (p.i.) and 36% of the virus DNA at 40 h p.i; (ii) the increase in virus sequences among nuclear transcripts at late times was prevented by the DNA synthesis inhibitor, 2'-deoxyfluorouridine; (iii) early virus RNA transcripts were subset of those represented in late RNA; (iv) two classes of early RNA were identified by competition hybridization; (v) approx. 10% of the late nuclear transcripts were symmetrical. Results of filter hybridization at DNA excess indicated that virus-specific RNA represented 0.6% of RNA labelled from 0 to 2 h p.i., and 1.8% of RNA labelled from 28 to 30 h. Polyadenylated RNA isolated from cytoplasm represented 1.2% and 10% of labelled mRNA at 2 h and 30 h respectively. Our data show that during productive infection of human cells by HCMV, gene expression is under temporal, quantitative and post-transcriptional control.
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005467:Floxuridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011061:Poly A / Q000235:genetics; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D005467:Floxuridine; D011061:Poly A; D012313:RNA; D003513:Cycloheximide