Human cytomegalovirus-encoded immune modulators partner to downregulate major histocompatibility complex class I molecules.

ABSTRACT: Throughout the course of natural evolution with its host, the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has developed a variety of strategies to avoid immune recognition and clearance. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen presentation pathway is a major target of the virus. HCMV encodes at least six gene products that modulate the processing of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident MHC class I molecules. Here, we show that two virus-encoded proteins, US2 and US3, coordinate their functions toward the common goal of attenuating class I protein surface expression. In cells stably expressing both US2 and US3, class I molecules were almost completely downregulated from the cell surface. In addition, pulse-chase analysis revealed that the proteasome-dependent turnover of class I molecule

SUBMITTER: Noriega VM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2620908 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature