Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
06:40
Temporal Analysis of the Nuclear-to-cytoplasmic Translocation of a Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Protein by Immunofluorescent Confocal Microscopy
Published on: November 4, 2018
6.7K
Cytomegalovirus Late Protein pUL31 Alters Pre-rRNA Expression and Nuclear Organization during Infection
Kristen N Westdorp1, Andrea Sand1, Nathaniel J Moorman2
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Journal of Virology
|June 30, 2017
Summary
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) protein pUL31 reorganizes host cell nucleoli, impacting viral replication. This study reveals pUL31
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection profoundly reorganizes the host cell nucleus.
- Viral proteins involved in nuclear reorganization and their mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized.
- The function of CMV protein pUL31, identified in recent proteomic studies, is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the role of the CMV-encoded protein pUL31 in viral replication.
- To investigate the interaction of pUL31 with host cell components, particularly nucleolin.
- To determine the impact of pUL31 on nucleolar structure and function during CMV infection.
Main Methods:
- Expression analysis and subcellular localization of pUL31.
- Co-immunoprecipitation to identify interacting viral proteins.
- Analysis of nucleolar protein (nucleolin, UBF) localization during infection.
- Assessment of CMV replication efficiency in the presence and absence of pUL31.
- Measurement of pre-ribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) levels.
Main Results:
- pUL31 is a late-expressed viral protein localized to nucleolin-containing nuclear domains but excluded from viral replication centers.
- pUL31 interacts with viral protein pUL76, and their coexpression alters pUL31 localization and nucleolar organization.
- CMV lacking pUL31 fails to reorganize nucleolin and UBF and shows a replication defect at low multiplicity of infection.
- pUL31 is necessary and sufficient to reduce pre-rRNA levels, dependent on its dUTPase-like motif.
Conclusions:
- CMV protein pUL31 plays a critical role in regulating nucleolar biology and reorganizing nucleoli during infection.
- pUL31's function in modulating nucleolar activity is essential for efficient CMV replication.
- Understanding pUL31's role may offer strategies to target cellular stress responses against CMV.
More Related Videos
10:22Isolation of Viral Replication Compartment-enriched Sub-nuclear Fractions from Adenovirus-infected Normal Human Cells
Published on: November 12, 2015
9.2K
09:38Identification of Nucleolar Factors During HIV-1 Replication Through Rev Immunoprecipitation and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 26, 2019
8.7K
Related Concept Videos
02:28Leaky Scanning
5.8K
During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA. Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R...
5.8K
01:10Retrovirus Life Cycles
50.0K
Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
50.0K
02:41Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing
8.3K
In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
The chromatin structure, especially...
8.3K
01:29Viruses with RNA Genomes
1.1K
RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
1.1K
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
3.4K
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
3.4K