title: The human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early proteins as antagonists of intrinsic and innate antiviral host responses.
abstract: The major immediate-early (IE) gene of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is believed to have a decisive role in acute infection and its activity is an important indicator of viral reactivation from latency. Although a variety of gene products are expressed from this region, the 72-kDa IE1 and the 86-kDa IE2 nuclear phosphoproteins are the most abundant and important. Both proteins have long been recognized as promiscuous transcriptional regulators. More recently, a critical role of the IE1 and IE2 proteins in counteracting non-adaptive host cell defense mechanisms has been revealed. In this review we will briefly summarize the available literature on IE1- and IE2-dependent mechanisms contributing to CMV evasion from intrinsic and innate immune responses.
authors: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany; E-Mail:  christina.paulus@klinik.uni-regensburg.de.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Paulus
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Nevels