title: Human cytomegalovirus UL49 encodes an early, virion-associated protein essential for virus growth in human foreskin fibroblasts.
abstract: Despite recent results of deletion experiments showing that open reading frame (ORF) UL49 of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is essential, the expression, function and functional location of its encoded protein remain unknown. We generated an antibody specific for pUL49 to investigate the protein product encoded by the UL49 ORF and identified its function in HCMV-infected host foreskin fibroblasts. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) of HCMV strain Towne (pRV-Towne) and the UL49-deleted mutant pRV-delUL49Towne were used to observe virus growth by plaque assay. Using a UL49-protein-binding antibody, we located pUL49 in the fibroblast cytoplasm. pUL49 exhibited expression kinetics resembling those of the class β-2 proteins and was detected in the virion tegument. Following deletion of UL49 ORF, the virus failed to replicate, but it could be recovered by addition of pUL49 from pCDNA3.1 (+)-UL49. Our findings indicate that UL49 ORF is essential for HCMV replication in host foreskin fibroblasts.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Occupational Disease Preventive and Treatment Center, Guangzhou No. 12 Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510620, China. chifengzhu@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Bioactive Drugs Research Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Jian
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Qian
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Chi-Qiang
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Occupational Disease Preventive and Treatment Center, Guangzhou No. 12 Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510620, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Occupational Disease Preventive and Treatment Center, Guangzhou No. 12 Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510620, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
authors.forename: Yue-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China. tzth@jnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Tian-Hong
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000821:virology; D052816:Foreskin / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014771:Virion / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C583953:UL49 protein, human cytomegalovirus; D014764:Viral Proteins