title: Cloning and characterization of rhesus cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B.
abstract: Rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) infection of rhesus macaques is an important model to investigate critical issues of cytomegalovirus biology. To better understand host immunological responses to viral glycoproteins, the glycoprotein B (gB) gene of RhCMV was molecularly cloned, sequenced and characterized. Transcription analysis revealed that RhCMV gB was transcribed as a late gene. The RhCMV gB gene encoded a predicted protein of 854 amino acids that was 60% identical/75% similar to the human CMV (HCMV) gB protein. The region of HCMV gB proposed to be responsible for virus binding to host cells, fusion and cell-to-cell spread was the most highly conserved region with RhCMV gB (74% identity/85% similarity). Conserved elements included 11 of 12 cysteine residues, 14 of 16 potential N-linked glycosylation sites and cross-reactive epitopes. Metabolic labelling experiments demonstrated that RhCMV gB was proteolytically processed similarly to HCMV gB. These results are critical for investigating virus-host relationships in CMV-infected primates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Pathology, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Kravitz
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sciabica
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Luciw
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D000939:Epitopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus