Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
05:53

Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates

Published on: July 6, 2013

15.5K

Cytomegalovirus disrupts Lamin A/C to control microtubule-mediated nuclear movement and cell migration

Jamil Mahmud1, Ipsita Nandi1, Dean J Procter1

  • 1Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|November 25, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) manipulates Lamin A/C and SUN2 to control nuclear movement and cell migration. HCMV selectively downregulates these proteins to enable acetylated microtubules, crucial for cell migration during infection.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection alters nuclear architecture.
  • Lamin A/C and SUN2 are key components of the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex.
  • LINC complexes connect the nuclear envelope to the cytoskeleton, influencing nuclear positioning and cell migration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Lamin A/C and SUN2 in HCMV-induced nuclear movement and cell migration.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which HCMV manipulates Lamin A/C and SUN2 during infection.
  • To understand how HCMV controls cytoskeletal interactions with the nucleus.

Main Methods:

  • Studied HCMV-infected cells.
  • Investigated the expression levels of Lamin A/C and SUN2.
  • Assessed the impact of viral kinase pUL97 inhibition and Lamin A/C mutants on protein expression and cytoskeletal organization.
  • Examined the effects of SUN2 or Lamin A/C re-expression.
  • Analyzed the role of acetylated microtubules in nuclear movement and cell migration.
  • Depleted the tubulin acetyl transferase ATAT1.

Main Results:

  • HCMV downregulates Lamin A/C and SUN2 to facilitate virion egress and later-stage nuclear-cytoskeletal rewiring.
  • Inhibition of viral kinase pUL97 or expression of nonphosphorylatable Lamin A/C mutants did not restore SUN2 expression or actin assembly.
  • Exogenous re-expression of SUN2 or Lamin A/C impaired acetylated microtubule formation.
  • Inhibition of pUL97, Lamin A/C mutants, or ATAT1 depletion impaired HCMV-induced nuclear movement and cell migration.

Conclusions:

  • HCMV employs multiple strategies to downregulate Lamin A/C and SUN2.
  • These downregulations prevent interference with acetylated microtubule formation, which is essential for nuclear movement and cell migration.
  • Reveals novel roles for Lamin A/C remodeling in HCMV infection and provides insights into nuclear-cytoskeletal control.
Keywords:
CytomegalovirusLaminmicrotubulesmotilitynucleus

More Related Videos

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production08:32

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production

Published on: March 2, 2014

10.9K
Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain05:51

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain

Published on: July 24, 2016

20.4K

Related Concept Videos

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a...
3.4K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.4K
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated...
6.0K
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
4.5K
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
10.1K
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...
3.2K