Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
Published on: July 6, 2013
Global reprogramming of the cellular translational landscape facilitates cytomegalovirus replication
Caleb McKinney1, Jiri Zavadil2, Christopher Bianco1
1Department of Microbiology and NYU Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Abstract:
Unlike many viruses that suppress cellular protein synthesis, host mRNA translation and polyribosome formation are stimulated by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). How HCMV impacts the translationally regulated cellular mRNA repertoire and its contribution to virus biology remains unknown. Using polysome profiling, we show that HCMV presides over the cellular translational landscape, selectively accessing the host genome to extend its own coding capacity and regulate virus replication. Expression of the HCMV UL38 mTORC1-activator partially recapitulates these translational alterations in uninfected cells. The signature of cellular mRNAs translationally stimulated by HCMV resembles pathophysiological states (such as cancer) where translation initiation factor levels or activity increase. In contrast, cellular mRNAs repressed by HCMV include those involved in differentiation and the immune response. Surprisingly, interfering with the virus-induced activation of cellular mRNA translation can either limit or enhance HCMV growth. The unanticipated extent to which HCMV specifically manipulates host mRNA translation may aid in understanding its association with complex inflammatory disorders and cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Cytomegalovirus Disease
Leaky Scanning
Viral Recombination
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers
Retrovirus Life Cycles

