Analysis of cytomegalovirus gene expression by transfection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a human herpesvirus, is the leading viral cause of birth defects (1,2). In acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, HCMV can cause severely debilitating colitis and retinitis; it is now an increasingly common cause of life-threatening pneumonitis in transplant patients (3-5). HCMV has a severely restricted host range in culture. It grows efficiently only in primary human diploid fibroblasts (HFF) and a few selected human cell lines (6-9). Monocytes serve as a major reservoir of latent HCMV in humans and HCMV can be grown in vitro in primary monocyte-derived macrophages (M/M) (10-14).