AI Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the genomic variability of a specific area in the Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) called the UL139 open reading frame (ORF), suggesting that variations may influence the virus's effects on different organs and cells.
- Researchers found numerous nucleotide changes, especially in the 5' half of the UL139 ORF, and identified three distinct groups of UL139 variants: G1, G2, and G3.
- The UL139 product was found to have similarities with human CD24, which is involved in B-cell activation, indicating potential implications for understanding HCMV's behavior and interaction with the immune system.
Article Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects a number of organs and cell types, leading to the hypothesis that HCMV disease and tissue tropism may be related to specific sequence variability. This study examined the genomic variability of a new polymorphic locus in HCMV, UL139 open reading frame (ORF). Detailed analysis showed that a large number of nucleotide insertions and non-synonymous substitutions occurred in the UL139 ORF, particularly in the 5' half, using the Toledo strain as the reference sequence. The UL139 variants were not distributed randomly, but were clustered clearly into three major groups: G1 (G1a, G1b, and G1c), G2 (G2a, G2b), and G3. In this study, it was found that the predicted UL139 product shared sequence homology with human CD24, a signal transducer modulating B-cell activation responses, and the sequences in G1c contained a specific attachment site of prokaryotic membrane lipoprotein lipid. The precise definition of UL139 genotypes and its putative function would be helpful in understanding better HCMV.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmv.20571 | DOI Listing |
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