title: Cytomegalovirus immediate early gene UL37 encodes a novel MHC-like protein.
abstract: The cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome encodes four clusters of genes expressed immediately after infection--i.e.: UL36-38, UL122-123, TRS1-IRS1, and US3. The general function of these genes is associated with inhibition of cellular mechanisms of antiviral response. Although several biological processes have been mapped onto specific gene products, the knowledge of the molecular mechanism of their activity remains fragmentary. Here, we report the application of protein structure prediction methods in assigning the function to a glycosylated domain encoded by UL37 of CMV (gpUL37, UL37x3). The discerned similarity clearly points out that this domain represents a novel type of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-like protein, and consequently may play a central role in an additional mechanism of escape from antiviral response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warszawa, Poland. lucjan@bioinfo.pl
authors.forename: Lucjan S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wyrwicz
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rychlewski
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000378:metabolism*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry; D006031:Glycosylation; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; C420323:UL37 protein, Human herpesvirus 5