title: Identification of the gene coding for rhesus cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B and immunological analysis of the protein.
abstract: The nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding glycoprotein B (gB) of rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) was determined and the protein characterized. The open reading frame of gB encoded a protein of 854 amino acids with 60% identity and 75% similarity at the amino acid level to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gB. Cysteine residues in the extraluminal part of the protein are perfectly conserved. Out of the 16 potential N-linked glycosylation sites present in HCMV gB, 15 are conserved in RhCMV gB. Immunoblot analyses with antisera detected three bands of 150 kDa, 90-110 kDa and 55 kDa representing the full-length gB as well as the proteolytic cleavage products. Cross-reactivity and cross-neutralization of a number of HCMV gB-specific monoclonal antibodies with RhCMV gB indicated sharing of immunogenic epitopes between the two molecules. The RhCMV gB regions corresponding to antigenic domains AD-1, 2 and 3 of HCMV gB were immunogenic during natural RhCMV infection with the AD-1 region being the immunodominant domain. The data indicate that RhCMV might represent a useful model to investigate pathogenesis and immune surveillance of cytomegaloviruses.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kropff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mach
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003545:Cysteine; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012867:Skin; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus; D003545:Cysteine