The DNA sequence of the human cytomegalovirus genome

Abstract

In the first part of this article we review what has been learnt from the analysis of the sequence of HCMV. A summary of this information is presented in the form of an updated map of the viral genome. HCMV is representative of a major lineage of herpesviruses distinct from previously sequenced members of this viral family and demonstrates striking differences in genetic content and organization. The virus encodes approximately 200 genes, including nine gene families, a large number of glycoprotein genes, and homologues of the human HLA class I and G protein-coupled receptor genes. The HCMV sequence thus provides a sound basis for future molecular studies of this highly complex eukaryotic virus. The second part discusses the practical rate of DNA sequencing as deduced from this and other studies. The 229 kilobase pair DNA genome of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain AD169 is the largest contiguous sequence determined to date, and as such provides a realistic benchmark for assessing the practical rate of DNA sequencing as opposed to theoretical calculations which are usually much greater. The sequence was determined manually and we assess the impact of new developments in DNA sequencing.

Immune predispositions for cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS. The HNRC Group.

“…In addition to our observations and those noted for transplant recipients for CMV, HLA DR7 associations have been observed for both recurrent HSV-2 disease and Burkitts Lymphoma (30,31) two other herpes virus syndromes. In our study, average immune responses to HSV-1 were also low in patients who went on to develop CMV-R.…”

Cell growth control by G protein-coupled receptors: from signal transduction to signal integration

“…Sequences encoding functional GPCRs have also been found in the genome of a number of DNA viruses, including human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) (Bankier et al, 1991;Chee et al, 1990), herpes virus saimiri (HVS) (Nicholas et al, 1992) and Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) (Arvanitakis et al, 1997). The HCMV, which infects leukocytes, ®broblasts and epithelial cells, contains in its genome three predicted open reading frames, UL27, UL28, and UL33, encoding typical GPCRs, which are believed to represent functional chemokine receptors (Ahuja and Murphy, 1993;Neote et al, 1993).…”

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 U L 34 Gene Product Is Required for Viral Envelopment

“…The U L 34 protein coding sequence is well conserved in the alphaherpesviruses for which sequence data are available (15,16,43). Significant sequence similarity is also evident between HSV-1 U L 34 and the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) U L 50 protein (6). The HCMV U L 50 gene is also a positional homolog of U L 34; that is, it is found between the U L 49 and U L 51 genes of HCMV, which are homologous to the HSV-1 U L 33 and U L 35 genes, respectively.…”