title: The carboxy-terminal segment of the human cytomegalovirus DNA polymerase accessory subunit UL44 is crucial for viral replication.
abstract: The amino-terminal 290 residues of UL44, the presumed processivity factor of human cytomegalovirus DNA polymerase, possess all of the established biochemical activities of the full-length protein, while the carboxy-terminal 143 residues contain a nuclear localization signal (NLS). We found that although the amino-terminal domain was sufficient for origin-dependent synthesis in a transient-transfection assay, the carboxy-terminal segment was crucial for virus replication and for the formation of DNA replication compartments in infected cells, even when this segment was replaced with a simian virus 40 NLS that ensured nuclear localization. Our results suggest a role for this segment in viral DNA synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loregian
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pari
authors.forename: Blair L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Strang
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Coen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C072217:ICP36 protein, Cytomegalovirus; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D014764:Viral Proteins; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase