Initiation of human cytomegalovirus secondary envelopment requires the gM/gN glycoprotein complex and involves palmitoylation.

ABSTRACT: Glycoprotein M (gM) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) forms a conserved protein complex with glycoprotein N (gN), whose precise function in viral morphogenesis is poorly understood. To elucidate the function of the gM/gN complex in secondary envelopment, we employed a combination of viral mutants, siRNA knockdown, and ultrastructural analyses. Ultrastructural examination of a mutant virus with a cysteine-to-serine mutation in the cytoplasmic tail of gN (TB-gN-C123S) showed a defect in the initiation of secondary envelopment as most capsids in TB-gN-C123S-infected cells were either not in contact with cytoplasmic membranes or, when near membranes, lacked signs of budding. The defect in secondary envelopment was associated with an accumulation of partially tegumented capsids in the peripheral

SUBMITTER: Cortez Rayas L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12817960 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature