scholarly journals Combinatorial Effect of Two Framework Mutations (E119V and I222L) in the Neuraminidase Active Site of H3N2 Influenza Virus on Resistance to Oseltamivir

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 2942-2952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilde Richard ◽  
Olivier Ferraris ◽  
Alexandra Erny ◽  
Mendy Barthélémy ◽  
Aurélien Traversier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Oseltamivir Resistance ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTNeuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NIs) are the first line of defense against influenza virus. Reverse genetics experiments allow the study of resistance mechanisms by anticipating the impacts of mutations to the virus. To look at the possibility of an increased effect on the resistance phenotype of a combination of framework mutations, known to confer resistance to oseltamivir or zanamivir, with limited effect on virus fitness, we constructed 4 viruses by reverse genetics in the A/Moscow/10/99 H3N2 background containing double mutations in their neuraminidase genes: E119D+I222L, E119V+I222L, D198N+I222L, and H274Y+I222L (N2 numbering). Among the viruses produced, the E119D+I222L mutant virus was not able to grow without bacterial NA complementation and the D198N+I222L mutant and H274Y+I222L mutant were not stable after passages in MDCK cells. The E119V+I222L mutant was stable after five passages in MDCK cells. This E119V-and-I222L combination had a combinatorial effect on oseltamivir resistance. The total NA activity of the E119V+I222L mutant was low (5% compared to that of the wild-type virus). This drop in NA activity resulted from a decreased NA quantity in the virion in comparison to that of the wild-type virus (1.4% of that of the wild type). In MDCK-SIAT1 cells, the E119V+I222L mutant virus did not present a replicative advantage over the wild-type virus, even in the presence of oseltamivir. Double mutations combining two framework mutations in the NA gene still have to be monitored, as they could induce a high level of resistance to NIs, without impairing the NA affinity. Our study allows a better understanding of the diversity of the mechanisms of resistance to NIs.

scholarly journals Characterization of Human Influenza Virus Variants Selected In Vitro in the Presence of the Neuraminidase Inhibitor GS 4071

1998 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 3234-3241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Y. Tai ◽  
Paul A. Escarpe ◽  
Robert W. Sidwell ◽  
Matthew A. Williams ◽  
Willard Lew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Neuraminidase Inhibitor ◽  
H3n2 Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Human Influenza ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Viral Virulence ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACT An oral prodrug of GS 4071, a potent and selective inhibitor of influenza neuraminidases, is currently under clinical development for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza virus infections in humans. To investigate the potential development of resistance during the clinical use of this compound, variants of the human influenza A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2) virus with reduced susceptibility to the neuraminidase inhibitor GS 4071 were selected in vitro by passaging the virus in MDCK cells in the presence of inhibitor. After eight passages, variants containing two amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin (A28T in HA1 and R124M in HA2) but no changes in the neuraminidase were isolated. These variants exhibited a 10-fold reduction in susceptibility to GS 4071 and zanamivir (GG167) in an in vitro plaque reduction assay. After 12 passages, a second variant containing these hemagglutinin mutations and a Lys substitution for the conserved Arg292 of the neuraminidase was isolated. The mutant neuraminidase enzyme exhibited high-level (30,000-fold) resistance to GS 4071, but only moderate (30-fold) resistance to zanamivir and 4-amino-Neu5Ac2en, the amino analog of zanamivir. The mutant enzyme had weaker affinity for the fluorogenic substrate 2′-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-α-d- N -acetylneuraminic acid and lower enzymatic activity compared to the wild-type enzyme. The viral variant containing the mutant neuraminidase did not replicate as well as the wild-type virus in culture and was 10,000-fold less infectious than the wild-type virus in a mouse model. These results suggest that although the R292K neuraminidase mutation confers high-level resistance to GS 4071 in vitro, its effect on viral virulence is likely to render this mutation of limited clinical significance.

scholarly journals The nsp3 Macrodomain Promotes Virulence in Mice with Coronavirus-Induced Encephalitis

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 1523-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony R. Fehr ◽  
Jeremiah Athmer ◽  
Rudragouda Channappanavar ◽  
Judith M. Phillips ◽  
David K. Meyerholz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Viral Pathogenesis ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Structural Domain ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type

ABSTRACTAll coronaviruses encode a macrodomain containing ADP-ribose-1″-phosphatase (ADRP) activity within the N terminus of nonstructural protein 3 (nsp3). Previous work showed that mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) with a mutated catalytic site (N1348A) replicated similarly to wild-type virus but was unable to cause acute hepatitis in mice. To determine whether this attenuated phenotype is applicable to multiple disease models, we mutated the catalytic residue in the JHM strain of MHV (JHMV), which causes acute and chronic encephalomyelitis, using a newly developed bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based MHV reverse genetics system. Infection of mice with the macrodomain catalytic point mutant virus (N1347A) resulted in reductions in lethality, weight loss, viral titers, proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression, and immune cell infiltration in the brain compared to mice infected with wild-type virus. Specifically, macrophages were most affected, with approximately 2.5-fold fewer macrophages at day 5 postinfection in N1347A-infected brains. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon (IFN) signaling were not required for effective host control of mutant virus as all N1347A virus-infected mice survived the infection. However, the adaptive immune system was required for protection since N1347A virus was able to cause lethal encephalitis in RAG1−/−(recombination activation gene 1 knockout) mice although disease onset was modestly delayed. Overall, these results indicate that the BAC-based MHV reverse genetics system will be useful for studies of JHMV and expand upon previous studies, showing that the macrodomain is critical for the ability of coronaviruses to evade the immune system and promote viral pathogenesis.IMPORTANCECoronaviruses are an important cause of human and veterinary diseases worldwide. Viral processes that are conserved across a family are likely to be good targets for the development of antiviral therapeutics and vaccines. The macrodomain is a ubiquitous structural domain and is also conserved among all coronaviruses. The coronavirus macrodomain has ADP-ribose-1″-phosphatase activity; however, its function during infection remains unclear as does the reason that coronaviruses have maintained this enzymatic activity throughout evolution. For MHV, this domain has now been shown to promote multiple types of disease, including hepatitis and encephalitis. These data indicate that this domain is vital for the virus to replicate and cause disease. Understanding the mechanism used by this enzyme to promote viral pathogenesis will open up novel avenues for therapies and may give further insight into the role of macrodomain proteins in the host cell since these proteins are found in all living organisms.

scholarly journals Lack of transmission of a human influenza virus with avian receptor specificity between ferrets is not due to decreased virus shedding but rather a lower infectivity in vivo

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. 1822-1831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim L. Roberts ◽  
Holly Shelton ◽  
Margaret Scull ◽  
Raymond Pickles ◽  
Wendy S. Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Productive Infection ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Human Influenza ◽  
Wild Type

Influenza virus attaches to host cells by sialic acid (SA). Human influenza viruses show preferential affinity for α2,6-linked SA, whereas avian influenza viruses bind α2,3-linked SA. In this study, mutation of the haemagglutinin receptor-binding site of a human H3N2 influenza A virus to switch binding to α2,3-linked SA did not eliminate infection of ferrets but prevented transmission, even in a co-housed model. The mutant virus was shed from the noses of ferrets directly inoculated with virus in the same amounts and for the same length of time as wild-type virus. Mutant virus infection was localized to the same anatomical regions of the upper respiratory tract of directly inoculated animals. Interestingly, wild-type virus was more readily neutralized than the mutant virus in vitro by ferret nasal washes containing mucus. Moreover after inoculation of equal doses, the mutant virus grew poorly in ex vivo ferret nasal turbinate tissue compared with wild-type virus. The dose of mutant virus required to establish infection in the directly inoculated ferrets was 40-fold higher than for wild-type virus. It was concluded that minimum infectious dose is a predictor of virus transmissibility and it is suggested that, as virus passes from one host to another through stringent environmental conditions, viruses with a preference for α2,3-linked SA are unlikely to inoculate a new mammalian host in sufficient quantities to initiate a productive infection.

scholarly journals A Replication-Defective Gammaherpesvirus Efficiently Establishes Long-Term Latency in Macrophages but Not in B Cells In Vivo

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (17) ◽  
pp. 8500-8508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Li ◽  
Kazufumi Ikuta ◽  
John W. Sixbey ◽  
Scott A. Tibbetts
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Viral Genome ◽  
Lytic Replication ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virus Latency

ABSTRACT Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (γHV68 or MHV68) is genetically related to the human gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), providing a useful system for in vivo studies of the virus-host relationship. To begin to address fundamental questions about the mechanisms of the establishment of gammaherpesvirus latency, we previously generated a replication-defective γHV68 lacking the expression of the single-stranded DNA binding protein encoded by orf6. In work presented here, we demonstrate that this mutant virus established a long-term infection in vivo that was molecularly identical to wild-type virus latency. Thus, despite the absence of an acute phase of lytic replication, the mutant virus established a chronic infection in which the viral genome (i) was maintained as an episome and (ii) expressed latency-associated, but not lytic replication-associated, genes. Macrophages purified from mice infected with the replication-defective virus harbored viral genome at a frequency that was nearly identical to that of wild-type γHV68; however, the frequency of B cells harboring viral genome was greatly reduced in the absence of lytic replication. Thus, this replication-defective gammaherpesvirus efficiently established in vivo infection in macrophages that was molecularly indistinguishable from wild-type virus latency. These data point to a critical role for lytic replication or reactivation in the establishment or maintenance of latent infection in B cells.

scholarly journals Vaccinia Virus Envelope H3L Protein Binds to Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate and Is Important for Intracellular Mature Virion Morphogenesis and Virus Infection In Vitro and In Vivo

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 3353-3365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Long Lin ◽  
Che-Sheng Chung ◽  
Hans G. Heine ◽  
Wen Chang
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Vaccinia Virus ◽  
Heparan Sulfate ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virion Morphogenesis

ABSTRACT An immunodominant antigen, p35, is expressed on the envelope of intracellular mature virions (IMV) of vaccinia virus. p35 is encoded by the viral late gene H3L, but its role in the virus life cycle is not known. This report demonstrates that soluble H3L protein binds to heparan sulfate on the cell surface and competes with the binding of vaccinia virus, indicating a role for H3L protein in IMV adsorption to mammalian cells. A mutant virus defective in expression of H3L (H3L−) was constructed; the mutant virus has a small plaque phenotype and 10-fold lower IMV and extracellular enveloped virion titers than the wild-type virus. Virion morphogenesis is severely blocked and intermediate viral structures such as viral factories and crescents accumulate in cells infected with the H3L− mutant virus. IMV from the H3L− mutant virus are somewhat altered and less infectious than wild-type virions. However, cells infected by the mutant virus form multinucleated syncytia after low pH treatment, suggesting that H3L protein is not required for cell fusion. Mice inoculated intranasally with wild-type virus show high mortality and severe weight loss, whereas mice infected with H3L− mutant virus survive and recover faster, indicating that inactivation of the H3L gene attenuates virus virulence in vivo. In summary, these data indicate that H3L protein mediates vaccinia virus adsorption to cell surface heparan sulfate and is important for vaccinia virus infection in vitro and in vivo. In addition, H3L protein plays a role in virion assembly.

scholarly journals Involvement of the N-Terminal Deubiquitinating Protease Domain of Human Cytomegalovirus UL48 Tegument Protein in Autoubiquitination, Virion Stability, and Virus Entry

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 3229-3242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Eui Kim ◽  
Se Eun Oh ◽  
Ki Mun Kwon ◽  
Chan Hee Lee ◽  
Jin-Hyun Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Human Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Virus Entry ◽  
Terminal Region ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Viral Growth ◽  
Internal Region ◽  
Deubiquitinating Protease

ABSTRACTHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) protein pUL48 is closely associated with the capsid and has a deubiquitinating protease (DUB) activity in its N-terminal region. Although this DUB activity moderately increases virus replication in cultured fibroblast cells, the requirements of the N-terminal region of pUL48 in the viral replication cycle are not fully understood. In this study, we characterized the recombinant viruses encoding UL48(ΔDUB/NLS), which lacks the DUB domain and the adjacent nuclear localization signal (NLS), UL48(ΔDUB), which lacks only the DUB, and UL48(Δ360–1200), which lacks the internal region (amino acids 360 to 1200) downstream of the DUB/NLS. While ΔDUB/NLS and Δ360–1200 mutant viruses did not grow in fibroblasts, the ΔDUB virus replicated to titers 100-fold lower than those for wild-type virus and showed substantially reduced viral gene expression at low multiplicities of infection. The DUB domain contained ubiquitination sites, and DUB activity reduced its own proteasomal degradation intrans. Deletion of the DUB domain did not affect the nuclear and cytoplasmic localization of pUL48, whereas the internal region (360–1200) was necessary for cytoplasmic distribution. In coimmunoprecipitation assays, pUL48 interacted with three tegument proteins (pUL47, pUL45, and pUL88) and two capsid proteins (pUL77 and pUL85) but the DUB domain contributed to only pUL85 binding. Furthermore, we found that the ΔDUB virus showed reduced virion stability and less efficiently delivered its genome into the cell than the wild-type virus. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the N-terminal DUB domain of pUL48 contributes to efficient viral growth by regulating its own stability and promoting virion stabilization and virus entry.IMPORTANCEHCMV pUL48 and its herpesvirus homologs play key roles in virus entry, regulation of immune signaling pathways, and virion assembly. The N terminus of pUL48 contains the DUB domain, which is well conserved among all herpesviruses. Although studies using the active-site mutant viruses revealed that the DUB activity promotes viral growth, the exact role of this region in the viral life cycle is not fully understood. In this study, using the mutant virus lacking the entire DUB domain, we demonstrate that the DUB domain of pUL48 contributes to viral growth by regulating its own stability via autodeubiquitination and promoting virion stability and virus entry. This report is the first to demonstrate the characteristics of the mutant virus with the entire DUB domain deleted, which, along with information on the functions of this region, is useful in dissecting the functions associated with pUL48.

scholarly journals Structural Studies of Chikungunya Virus-Like Particles Complexed with Human Antibodies: Neutralization and Cell-to-Cell Transmission

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 1169-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Porta ◽  
Vidya Mangala Prasad ◽  
Cheng-I Wang ◽  
Wataru Akahata ◽  
Lisa F. P. Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chikungunya Virus ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virus Like Particles ◽  
Fab Fragments ◽  
Cell Transmission ◽  
Viral Surface

ABSTRACTChikungunya virus is a positive-stranded RNA alphavirus. Structures of chikungunya virus-like particles in complex with strongly neutralizing antibody Fab fragments (8B10 and 5F10) were determined using cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography. By fitting the crystallographically determined structures of these Fab fragments into the cryo-electron density maps, we show that Fab fragments of antibody 8B10 extend radially from the viral surface and block receptor binding on the E2 glycoprotein. In contrast, Fab fragments of antibody 5F10 bind the tip of the E2 B domain and lie tangentially on the viral surface. Fab 5F10 fixes the B domain rigidly to the surface of the virus, blocking exposure of the fusion loop on glycoprotein E1 and therefore preventing the virus from becoming fusogenic. Although Fab 5F10 can neutralize the wild-type virus, it can also bind to a mutant virus without inhibiting fusion or attachment. Although the mutant virus is no longer able to propagate by extracellular budding, it can, however, enter the next cell by traveling through junctional complexes without being intercepted by a neutralizing antibody to the wild-type virus, thus clarifying how cell-to-cell transmission can occur.IMPORTANCEAlphaviral infections are transmitted mainly by mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which belongs to theAlphavirusgenus, has a wide distribution in the Old World that has expanded in recent years into the Americas. There are currently no vaccines or drugs against alphaviral infections. Therefore, a better understanding of CHIKV and its associated neutralizing antibodies will aid in the development of effective treatments.

scholarly journals Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Induces Cytoplasmic Accumulation of TIA-1/TIAR and both Synthesis and Cytoplasmic Accumulation of Tristetraprolin, Two Cellular Proteins That Bind and Destabilize AU-Rich RNAs

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (16) ◽  
pp. 8582-8592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Esclatine ◽  
Brunella Taddeo ◽  
Bernard Roizman
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Cytoplasmic Accumulation ◽  
Simplex Virus

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus 1 causes a shutoff of cellular protein synthesis through the degradation of RNA that is mediated by the virion host shutoff (Vhs) protein encoded by the UL41 gene. We reported elsewhere that the Vhs-dependent degradation of RNA is selective, and we identified RNAs containing AU-rich elements (AREs) that were upregulated after infection but degraded by deadenylation and progressive 3′-to-5′ degradation. We also identified upregulated RNAs that were not subject to Vhs-dependent degradation (A. Esclatine, B. Taddeo, L. Evans, and B. Roizman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:3603-3608, 2004). Among the latter was the RNA encoding tristetraprolin, a protein that binds AREs and is known to be associated with the degradation of RNAs containing AREs. Prompted by this observation, we examined the status of the ARE binding proteins tristetraprolin and TIA-1/TIAR in infected cells. We report that tristetraprolin was made and accumulated in the cytoplasm of wild-type virus-infected human foreskin fibroblasts as early as 2 h and in HEp-2 cells as early as 6 h after infection. The amounts of tristetraprolin that accumulated in the cytoplasm of cells infected with a mutant virus lacking UL41 were significantly lower than those in wild-type virus-infected cells. The localization of tristetraprolin was not modified in cells infected with a mutant lacking the gene encoding infected cell protein 4 (ICP4). TIA-1 and TIAR are two other proteins that are associated with the regulation of ARE-containing RNAs and that normally reside in nuclei. In infected cells, they started to accumulate in the cytoplasm after 6 h of infection. In cells infected with the mutant virus lacking UL41, TIA-1/TIAR accumulated in the cytoplasm in granular structures reminiscent of stress granules in a significant percentage of the cells. In addition, an antibody to tristetraprolin coprecipitated the Vhs protein from lysates of cells late in infection. The results indicate that the Vhs-dependent degradation of ARE-containing RNAs correlates with the transactivation, cytoplasmic accumulation, and persistence of tristetraprolin in infected cells.

scholarly journals Effects of Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Protein Mutations on Cell-Cell Fusion Mediated by Human Parainfluenza Type 2 Virus

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (17) ◽  
pp. 8283-8295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Tsurudome ◽  
Machiko Nishio ◽  
Morihiro Ito ◽  
Shunsuke Tanahashi ◽  
Mitsuo Kawano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fusion ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Vero Cells ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Amino Acid Mutations ◽  
Cell Cell

ABSTRACT The monoclonal antibody M1-1A, specific for the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein of human parainfluenza type 2 virus (HPIV2), blocks virus-induced cell-cell fusion without affecting the hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activities. F13 is a neutralization escape variant selected with M1-1A and contains amino acid mutations N83Y and M186I in the HN protein, with no mutation in the fusion protein. Intriguingly, F13 exhibits reduced ability to induce cell-cell fusion despite its multistep replication. To investigate the potential role of HPIV2 HN protein in the regulation of cell-cell fusion, we introduced these mutations individually or in combination to the HN protein in the context of recombinant HPIV2. Following infection at a low multiplicity, Vero cells infected with the mutant virus H-83/186, which carried both the N83Y and M186I mutations, remained as nonfused single cells at least for 24 h, whereas most of the cells infected with wild-type virus mediated prominent cell-cell fusion within 24 h. On the other hand, the cells infected with the mutant virus, carrying either the H-83 or H-186 mutation, mediated cell-cell fusion but less efficiently than those infected with wild-type virus. Irrespective of the ability to cause cell-cell fusion, however, every virus could infect all the cells in the culture within 48 h after the initial infection. These results indicated that both the N83Y and M186I mutations in the HN protein are involved in the regulation of cell-cell fusion. Notably, the limited cell-cell fusion by H-83/186 virus was greatly promoted by lysophosphatidic acid, a stimulator of the Ras and Rho family GTPases.

scholarly journals Human Cytomegalovirus pUS24 Is a Virion Protein That Functions Very Early in the Replication Cycle

2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (17) ◽  
pp. 8371-8378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuyan Feng ◽  
Jörg Schröer ◽  
Dong Yu ◽  
Thomas Shenk
Keyword(s):  
Human Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Mutant Virus ◽  
Replication Cycle ◽  
Immediate Early ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Type Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virion Protein ◽  
Viral Dna ◽  
Infected Cells

ABSTRACT We have characterized the function of the human cytomegalovirus US24 gene, a US22 gene family member. Two US24-deficient mutants (BADinUS24 and BADsubUS24) exhibited a 20- to 30-fold growth defect, compared to their wild-type parent (BADwt), after infection at a relatively low (0.01 PFU/cell) or high (1 PFU/cell) input multiplicity. Representative virus-encoded proteins and viral DNA accumulated with normal kinetics to wild-type levels after infection with mutant virus when cells received equal numbers of mutant and wild-type infectious units. Further, the proteins were properly localized and no ultrastructural differences were found by electron microscopy in mutant-virus-infected cells compared to wild-type-virus-infected cells. However, virions produced by US24-deficient mutants had a 10-fold-higher genome-to-PFU ratio than wild-type virus. When infections were performed using equal numbers of input virus particles, the expression of immediate-early, early, and late viral proteins was substantially delayed and decreased in the absence of US24 protein. This delay is not due to inefficient virus entry, since two tegument proteins and viral DNA moved to the nucleus equally well in mutant- and wild-type-virus-infected cells. In summary, US24 is a virion protein and virions produced by US24-deficient viruses exhibit a block to the human cytomegalovirus replication cycle after viral DNA reaches the nucleus and before immediate-early mRNAs are transcribed.

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