Sumoylation of the major immediate-early IE2 protein of human cytomegalovirus Towne strain is not required for virus growth in cultured human fibroblasts.
Sumoylation of the major immediate-early IE2 protein of human cytomegalovirus has been shown to increase transactivation activity in target reporter gene assays. This study examined the role of IE2 sumoylation in viral infection. A Towne strain-based bacterial artificial chromosome clone was generated encoding a mutated form of the IE2 protein with Lys-->Arg substitutions at positions 175 and 180, the two major sumoylation sites. When human fibroblast (HF) cells were infected with the reconstituted mutant virus, (i) viral growth kinetics, (ii) the accumulation of IE1 (UL123), IE2 (UL122), p52 (UL44) and pp65 (UL83) proteins and (iii) the relocalization of the cellular small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-1, p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen proteins into viral DNA replication compartments were comparable with those of the wild-type and the revertant virus. The data demonstrate that sumoylation of IE2 is not essential for virus growth in cultured HF cells.
School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea.|Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Kyonggido 440-746, Korea.
Hye-Ra
HR
Lee
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Kyonggido 440-746, Korea.
Jin-Hyun
JH
Ahn
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D025842:SUMO-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D014779:Virus Replication
C069186:IE2 protein, Cytomegalovirus; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D025842:SUMO-1 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53