title: Murid herpesvirus 4 strain 68 M2 protein is a B-cell-associated antigen important for latency but not lymphocytosis.
abstract: This work describes analyses of the function of the murid herpesvirus 4 strain 68 (MHV-68) M2 gene. A frameshift mutation was made in the M2 open reading frame that caused premature termination of translation of M2 after amino acid residue 90. The M2 mutant showed no defect in productive replication in vitro or in lungs after infection of mice. Likewise, the characteristic transient increase in spleen cell number, Vbeta4 T-cell-receptor-positive CD8(+) T-cell mononucleosis, and establishment of latency were unaffected. However, the M2 mutant virus was defective in its ability to cause the transient sharp rise in latently infected cells normally seen in the spleen after infection of mice. We also demonstrate that expression of M2 is restricted to B cells in the spleen and that M2 encodes a 30-kDa protein localizing predominantly in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane of B cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Genitourinary Medicine, Centre for Comparative Infectious Diseases, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alastair I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Macrae
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Usherwood
authors.forename: S Mazher
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flaño
authors.forename: In-Jeong
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Woodland
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: Marcia A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blackman
authors.forename: Jeffery T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Sample
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014162:Transfection; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins