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Resistance of human cytomegalovirus to benzimidazole ribonucleosides maps to two open reading frames: UL89 and UL56.

ABSTRACT: 2,5,6-Trichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl benzimidazole (TCRB) is a potent and selective inhibitor of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication. TCRB acts via a novel mechanism involving inhibition of viral DNA processing and packaging. Resistance to the 2-bromo analog (BDCRB) has been mapped to the UL89 open reading frame (ORF), and this gene product was proposed as the viral target of the benzimidazole nucleosides. In this study, we report the independent isolation of virus that is 20- to 30-fold resistant to TCRB (isolate C4) and the characterization of the virus. The six ORFs known to be essential for viral DNA cleavage and packaging (UL51, UL52, UL56, UL77, UL89, and UL104) were sequenced from wild-type HCMV, strain Towne, and from isolate C4. Mutations were identified in UL89 (D344E) and in UL56 (Q204R). The mutation in UL89 was identical to that previously reported for virus resistant to BDCRB, but the mutation in UL56 is novel. Marker transfer analysis demonstrated that each of these mutations individually caused approximately 10-fold resistance to the benzimidazoles and that the combination of both mutations caused approximately 30-fold resistance. The rate and extent of replication of the mutants was the same as for wild-type virus, but the viruses were less sensitive to inhibition of DNA cleavage by TCRB. Mapping of resistance to UL56 supports and extends recent work showing that UL56 codes for a packaging motif binding protein which also has specific nuclease activity (E. Bogner et al., J. Virol. 72:2259-2264, 1998). Resistance which maps to two different genes suggests that their putative proteins interact and/or that either or both have a benzimidazole ribonucleoside binding site. The results also suggest that the gene products of UL89 and UL56 may be antiviral drug targets.

SUBMITTER: Krosky PM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC110001 | biostudies-literature | 1998 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Resistance of human cytomegalovirus to benzimidazole ribonucleosides maps to two open reading frames: UL89 and UL56.

Krosky P M PM Underwood M R MR Turk S R SR Feng K W KW Jain R K RK Ptak R G RG Westerman A C AC Biron K K KK Townsend L B LB Drach J C JC

Journal of virology 19980601 6

2,5,6-Trichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl benzimidazole (TCRB) is a potent and selective inhibitor of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication. TCRB acts via a novel mechanism involving inhibition of viral DNA processing and packaging. Resistance to the 2-bromo analog (BDCRB) has been mapped to the UL89 open reading frame (ORF), and this gene product was proposed as the viral target of the benzimidazole nucleosides. In this study, we report the independent isolation of virus that is 20- to 30-fold ...[more]

PMID: 9573236

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Project description:Transposon-based insertional mutagenesis screens have assessed how disruption of numerous human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) open reading frames (ORFs) impacts in vitro viral replication. Insertional mutagenesis of the HCMV UL30 gene was previously found to substantially inhibit production of viral progeny. However, there are a number of putative UL30-associated ORFs, and it is unclear how they impact viral replication. Here, we report on the contributions of the eight UL30-associated ORFs to infection. We find that deletion of the canonically annotated UL30 ORF substantially reduces production of infectious virus at both high and low multiplicities of infection (MOI). This deletion likely has complex effects on viral replication, as we find that it reduces the expression of neighboring non-UL30-associated ORFs. Mutation of the initiating methionine of the canonical UL30 ORF indicated that it is dispensable for high- and low-MOI infection in the highly passaged AD169 strain, although it is important for low-MOI infection in the less-passaged TB40/E strain. Comutation of eight methionines in the UL30 region results in a low-MOI viral replication defect, as does mutation of the TATA box responsible for the most abundant UL30 transcript, which is found to be necessary for the accumulation of multiple UL30-associated protein isoforms during infection. In total, our data indicate the importance of the UL30-associated ORFs during low-MOI HCMV infection and further highlight the difficulty associated with the functional interrogation of broadly disruptive mutations: e.g., large deletions or transposon insertions.IMPORTANCE Viral genes and their products are the critical determinants of viral infection. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes many gene products whose roles during viral infection have not been assessed. Elucidation of the contributions that various HCMV gene products make to infection provides insight into the infectious program, which could potentially be used to limit HCMV-associated morbidity, a major issue during congenital infection and in immunosuppressed populations. Here, we explored the role of HCMV's UL30-associated gene products and found that they are important for HCMV replication. Future work elucidating the mechanisms through which they contribute to viral infection could highlight novel avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Dataset Information

Resistance of human cytomegalovirus to benzimidazole ribonucleosides maps to two open reading frames: UL89 and UL56.

Publications

Resistance of human cytomegalovirus to benzimidazole ribonucleosides maps to two open reading frames: UL89 and UL56.

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