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Dissecting Host-virus Interaction in Lytic Replication of a Model Herpesvirus
11:28

Dissecting Host-virus Interaction in Lytic Replication of a Model Herpesvirus

Published on: October 7, 2011

Glycoprotein M is an essential lytic replication protein of the murine gammaherpesvirus 68

Janet S May1, Susanna Colaco, Philip G Stevenson

  • 1Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, United Kingdom.

Journal of Virology
|February 26, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Glycoprotein M (gM) is essential for gammaherpesvirus replication. Disrupting gM in murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) prevented virus propagation, highlighting gM's critical role in the viral life cycle.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Herpesvirus Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Herpesviruses share conserved genes, including glycoprotein M (gM), implicated in virion assembly.
  • While gM is dispensable for alphaherpesvirus lytic replication, its role in gammaherpesviruses remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the essentiality of glycoprotein M (gM) for the lytic replication of gammaherpesviruses.
  • To characterize the function of gM in murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) infection.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic disruption of the gM gene in the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) genome.
  • Phenotypic analysis of the gM-deficient mutant in permissive fibroblast cell cultures.
  • Viral genome rescue through homologous recombination and ectopic gene insertion.

Main Results:

  • The MHV-68 gM mutant exhibited a complete failure to propagate in permissive fibroblasts.
  • Restoration of wild-type gM via homologous recombination or ectopic expression rescued viral replication.
  • These findings demonstrate gM's critical role in MHV-68 lytic cycle.

Conclusions:

  • Glycoprotein M (gM) is essential for the lytic replication of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68).
  • gM's function is crucial for gammaherpesvirus propagation, contrasting with its non-essential role in alphaherpesviruses.
  • This study underscores the importance of gM in gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis and virion morphogenesis.

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