title: Lack of resistance-associated mutations in UL54 and UL97 genes of circulating cytomegalovirus strains isolated in a medical center in Taiwan.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a large DNA virus and a member of the betaherpesvirus family. HCMV infection is extremely common in human populations and can cause severe diseases in immunocompromised hosts. Ganciclovir is the most widely used antiviral drug for cytomegalovirus infection and works by blocking the amplification of HCMV. HCMV strains resistant to ganciclovir have been detected in recent decades and mainly result from mutations in UL97 (protein kinase) and UL54 (DNA polymerase) genes. In order to understand the prevalence of resistance of HCMV in Taiwan, we studied 40 clinical isolates to detect the mutations of UL97 and UL54 that might be related to resistance. The results showed that no mutation known to cause ganciclovir resistance was detected in any strain, but some polymorphisms (N685S, A688V, A885T, N898D in UL54; D605E in UL97) were frequently observed. Our results suggest that resistant HCMV strains are not prevalent in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Lan
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Meng-You
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yi-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liau
authors.forename: Chuan-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Shu-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Li-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000494:pharmacology; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013624:Taiwan; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005819:Genetic Markers; C109367:UL54 protein, Human herpesvirus 5; D014764:Viral Proteins; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C075365:ganciclovir kinase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D015774:Ganciclovir