Determinants of Endothelial Cell Tropism of Human Cytomegalovirus
Margarete Digel and Christian Sinzger
from: Cytomegaloviruses: Molecular Biology and Immunology (Edited by: Matthias J. Reddehase). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2006)
Abstract
The vascular endothelium is an important target of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in vivo during acute infection. Infection of endothelial cells (EC) is assumed to contribute to replication and distribution of the virus, to modulate inflammatory responses in infected organs and to harbour virus during persistent infections. The endothelial cell tropism of HCMV is reflected in cell culture systems. Recent clinical isolates display a variable capacity of focal growth in endothelial cell culture. The inherent endothelial cell tropism of HCMV isolates is maintained during subsequent propagation in EC whereas it is greatly reduced during propagation in fibroblasts, resulting in 100- to 1000-fold differences in the endothelial cell tropism of the respective strains. Interstrain differences between highly endotheliotropic and low endotheliotropic strains dictate their reproductive and cytopathogenic potential and are determined by the efficiency of nuclear particle transport during the initial phase of replication. Multiple gene regions, including UL23-25 and UL128-132, contribute to successful infection of EC by HCMV. Which of these genes participate in the phenotypic diversity of naturally occurring variants and how they are linked to the interstrain differences in transport efficiency are questions to be resolved read more ...
