The Golgi sorting motifs of human cytomegalovirus UL138 are not required for latency maintenance.
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establishes latency within incompletely differentiated cells of the myeloid lineage. The viral protein UL138 participates in establishing and maintaining this latent state. UL138 has multiple functions during latency that include silencing productive phase viral gene transcription and modulating intracellular protein trafficking. Trafficking and subsequent downregulation of the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) by UL138 is mediated by one of four Golgi sorting motifs within UL138. Here we investigate whether any of the Golgi sorting motifs of UL138 are required for the establishment and/or maintenance of HCMV latency in model cell systems in vitro. We determined that a mutant UL138 protein lacking an acidic cluster dileucine sorting motif unable to downregulate MRP1, as well as another mutant lacking all four Golgi sorting motifs still silenced viral immediate early (IE) gene expression and prevented progeny virion formation during latency. We conclude that the Golgi sorting motifs are not required for latency establishment or maintenance in model cell systems in vitro.
['Gelbmann|Christopher B|CB|', 'Kalejta|Robert F|RF|']
D020816:Amino Acid Motifs D003587:Cytomegalovirus D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early D006056:Golgi Apparatus D006801:Humans D027425:Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins D009154:Mutation D021381:Protein Transport D000074084:THP-1 Cells D014764:Viral Proteins D017735:Virus Latency
Golgi sorting motifs UL138 Latency HCMV