Murine cytomegalovirus degrades MHC class II to colonize the salivary glands.

ABSTRACT: Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) persistently and systemically infect the myeloid cells of immunocompetent hosts. Persistence implies immune evasion, and CMVs evade CD8+ T cells by inhibiting MHC class I-restricted antigen presentation. Myeloid cells can also interact with CD4+ T cells via MHC class II (MHC II). Human CMV (HCMV) attacks the MHC II presentation pathway in vitro, but what role this evasion might play in host colonization is unknown. We show that Murine CMV (MCMV) down-regulates MHC II via M78, a multi-membrane spanning viral protein that captured MHC II from the cell surface and was necessary although not sufficient for its degradation in low pH endosomes. M78-deficient MCMV down-regulated MHC I but not MHC II. After intranasal inoculation, it showed a severe defect in salivary glan

SUBMITTER: Yunis J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5831752 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature