title: Human Cytomegalovirus pUL93 Is Required for Viral Genome Cleavage and Packaging.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pUL93 is essential for virus growth, but its precise function in the virus life cycle is unknown. Here, we characterize a UL93 stop mutant virus (UL93st-TB40/E-BAC) to demonstrate that the absence of this protein does not restrict viral gene expression; however, cleavage of viral DNA into unit-length genomes as well as genome packaging is abolished. Thus, pUL93 is required for viral genome cleavage and packaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
authors.forename: Bernadette M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: DeRussy
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA rtandon@umc.edu.
authors.forename: Ritesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tandon
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018389:Codon, Nonsense / Q000235:genetics; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018389:Codon, Nonsense; C000605350:UL93 protein, Human cytomegalovirus; D014764:Viral Proteins