title: Efficient replication of rhesus cytomegalovirus variants in multiple rhesus and human cell types.
abstract: Rhesus cytomegalovirus infection of rhesus macaques has emerged as a model for human cytomegalovirus pathogenesis. The UL128-UL131 locus of the human virus is a primary determinant for viral entry into epithelial cells, an important cell type during cytomegalovirus infection. Rhesus cytomegalovirus strain 68-1 spreads slowly when grown in cultured rhesus epithelial cells, and it does not code for ORFs corresponding to UL128 and the second exon of UL130. We repaired the UL128-UL131 locus of strain 68-1, using rhesus cytomegalovirus strain 180.92 as template, to generate BRh68-1.1. We also repaired a mutation in the UL36 ORF in BRh68-1.1 to make BRh68-1.2. Both repaired derivatives replicate much more efficiently than parental 68-1 virus in rhesus epithelial cells, suggesting that strain 68-1 may be attenuated. Intriguingly, BRh68-1.1 and BRh68-1.2 replicate efficiently in cultured human epithelial cells and endothelial cells. The extended human cell host range of the repaired viruses raises the possibility that rhesus cytomegalovirus-like viruses will be found in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
authors.forename: Anders E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Lilja
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shenk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D005091:Exons; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000821:virology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic