title: Intragenic variability of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B in clinical strains.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strains can be classified into four glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes, and there has been evidence of differences in viral virulence. In this study, intragenic variability of HCMV gB strains was analyzed. The gB gene was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction using samples from immunosuppressed patients. The genotype of fragments corresponding to the cleavage site of gB was determined by restriction fragment analysis; fragments corresponding to the N- and C-termini (gBn and gBc) were sequenced and compared with published sequences. At the cleavage site, the four known genotypes were found. Typing revealed four major genotypes at the N-terminus and two at the C-terminus. In 22 of 44 strains, the gB type determined at the cleavage site was different from the gBn or gBc type (or either), indicating that intragenic variability within the gB gene occurs frequently.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Virologie, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Freiburg, Germany. mkoeng@sun1.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Meyer-König
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haberland
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Laer
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Hufert
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005814:Genes, Viral; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014766:Viremia; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus