Abstract
Like other herpesviruses, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) contains a unique proteinaceous layer between the virion envelope and capsid, termed the tegument. Upon infection, the contents of the tegument layer are delivered to the host cell, along with the capsid and the viral genome, where they facilitate the initial stages of virus replication. The tegument proteins also play important roles in virion assembly and this dual nature makes them attractive potential targets for antiviral therapies. While our knowledge regarding tegument protein function during the initiation of infection has been the subject of intense study, their roles in assembly are much less well understood. In this review, we will focus on recent studies that highlight the functions of HCMV tegument proteins during assembly, and pose key questions for further investigation.
Highlights
Despite being near ubiquitous in the population [1], overt human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) disease in adults is typically restricted to the immunocompromised [2,3]
The tegument proteins of HCMV have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets due to their key functions in the initiation of infection, virion assembly and particle stability [11,12]
Of particular note with respect to assembly, this study showed that the levels of the pp28 and pp65 tegument proteins were diminished within the newly infected cells, virion levels of both proteins were similar to wild type virus [44]
Summary
Despite being near ubiquitous in the population [1], overt human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) disease in adults is typically restricted to the immunocompromised [2,3]. HCMV causes significant disease and mortality in transplant recipients [3]. Such patients frequently undergo prophylactic therapy to reduce. Available treatments for HCMV infection target the viral DNA replication machinery, and can be quite effective at diminishing the impact of HCMV disease [10]. The tegument proteins of HCMV have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets due to their key functions in the initiation of infection, virion assembly and particle stability [11,12]. While we know a considerable amount regarding the functions of the tegument proteins during the initial phases of virus replication [11,13], our understanding of the specific role of the HCMV tegument proteins in virus assembly lags behind. We will focus on the functions of tegument proteins in the assembly, egress and stability of virus particles
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