title: Alteration of lipid metabolism in cells infected with human cytomegalovirus.
abstract: The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) envelope contains 12 virus-encoded glycoproteins and glycoprotein complexes but the lipid composition of the envelope has not been clearly defined. Given the specificity of the interactions between integral membrane proteins and lipids, it is likely that the lipid content of the virion envelope is regulated during infection. In an effort to determine the effects of HCMV infection on lipid metabolism, we have used PCR array technology to investigate how infection affects the expression of genes involved in lipoprotein signaling and cholesterol homeostasis pathways. Our results indicate that HCMV infection leads to down-regulation of the ABCA1 transporter. Decreased levels of ABCA1 appear to be the result of enhanced calpain-mediated cleavage in virus-infected cells. In addition, our data also show that HCMV infection inhibits the development of the foam cell phenotype in conditionally permissive THP-1 derived macrophages
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M Health Science Center, Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, College Station, TX 77843-1266, USA. VSanchez@medicine.tamhsc.edu
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000821:virology; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C577836:ABCA1 protein, human; D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D002154:Calpain