Design and analysis of rhesus cytomegalovirus IL-10 mutants as a model for novel vaccines against human cytomegalovirus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) expresses a viral ortholog (CMVIL-10) of human cellular interleukin-10 (cIL-10). Despite only ∼26% amino acid sequence identity, CMVIL-10 exhibits comparable immunosuppressive activity with cIL-10, attenuates HCMV antiviral immune responses, and contributes to lifelong persistence within infected hosts. The low sequence identity between CMVIL-10 and cIL-10 suggests vaccination with CMVIL-10 may generate antibodies that specifically neutralize CMVIL-10 biological activity, but not the cellular cytokine, cIL-10. However, immunization with functional CMVIL-10 might be detrimental to the host because of its immunosuppressive properties.

Methods and findings

Structural biology was used to engineer biologically inactive mutants of CMVIL-10 t

SUBMITTER: Logsdon NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3221699 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature