title: Characterization of a cluster of late genes of guinea pig cytomegalovirus.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenital infection, and is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality in the newborn infant. Guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV) is transmitted through the placenta with resulting fetal infection, and provides an excellent model for the study of fetal cytomegalovirus infection. We have characterized a cluster of late GPCMV genes, identifying GPCMV homologs of the HCMV G protein-coupled receptor gene, UL33; the transcriptional repressor gene, UL34 and two genes encoding tegument proteins, UL32 and UL35. We also identified the GPCMV homolog of UL37, an antiapoptotic gene. Surprisingly, no GPCMV homolog to HCMV UL36 was identified in the same genomic region. Furthermore, two of the predicted GPCMV proteins share greater identity with HHV-6 and/or HHV-7 homologs than with other cytomegalovirus homologs. The identification of GPCMV homologs of conserved viral genes, particularly genes involved in pathogenicity such as the G protein-coupled receptors, will facilitate future analysis of the role of these genes in infections.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Biegalke
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D019211:Roseolovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D026801:Synteny; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins