Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research

Limited cross strain CMV protection by a bivalent (gB/pp65) vaccine is based on an impaired gB antibody response and evasion of pp65 cell mediated immunity

This study evaluates a bivalent GPCMV vaccine and finds it provides limited cross-strain protection due to impaired gB antibody response and evasion of pp65 cell-mediated immunity.

B cell response to HCMV gH/UL116 elicits neutralizing and FcγR-activating antibodies

The paper identifies gH/UL116 as a target for antibodies that neutralize HCMV and activate FcγR, showing its potential as a vaccine candidate.

Human cytomegalovirus microRNAs target the Wnt signaling protein Dishevelled 3 to promote efficient reactivation in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells

This study shows that HCMV miRNAs miR-US5-2 and miR-US25-2 downregulate Dvl3 during latency to enable efficient reactivation in CD34+ HPCs.

Heterogeneity of HCMV-Specific CD8+ T Cells is Established Early in Infection, Clonally Encoded, and Stable Over Time

The paper tracks CMV-specific CD8+ T cells over time to show that clonal diversity and phenotypes are established early and remain stable during chronic infection.

Murine cytomegalovirus m119-118 encodes a new viral Fc receptor antagonizing host Fc receptor activation

This study identifies a second murine CMV vFcR, fcr-2, encoded by m119-118, which cooperates with fcr-1 to inhibit host Fc receptor activation and enhance viral pathogenesis.

Phosphorylation-tuned condensation links HCMV tegument assembly to membrane recruitment

This study shows that phosphorylation-regulated condensation of the HCMV protein pp150 couples tegument assembly to membrane recruitment, supporting viral replication.

Antiviral activity versus host response: contrasting transcriptomic footprints of four antivirals in human cytomegalovirus-infected brain organoids

This study compares the antiviral activity and host response of four drugs in HCMV-infected brain organoids, showing varying effects on viral load and gene expression.

Structural characterization of antibodies for synergistic HCMV neutralization

This study uses cryo-EM to analyze antibodies targeting HCMV glycoproteins, identifying synergistic combinations that enhance neutralization.

Human Cytomegalovirus Infects and Remodels 3D-biofabricated Skin Equivalents

This study infects and evaluates HCMV in a 3D biofabricated skin model, showing productive infection and reduced viral transit in 3D cultures compared to 2D.

Human cytomegalovirus UL2 is not required for lytic replication or viral latency and reactivation

This study shows that HCMV UL2 is not required for lytic replication, latency establishment, or reactivation in THP-1 monocytes or primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells.

Non-Canonical Activation of HSF1 Stimulates mTORC1-Mediated Translation in HCMV-Infected Monocytes

This study shows HCMV activates HSF1 in monocytes to promote survival via mTORC1-mediated translation of pro-survival transcripts.

Human Cytomegalovirus UL4 is Required for Viral Reactivation via Cellular Reprogramming in Latently Infected CD34+ Progenitor Cells and Humanized Mice

This study identifies UL4 as a viral factor required for HCMV reactivation in CD34+ progenitor cells and humanized mice, influencing cellular proliferation, differentiation, and immune signaling.

Human cytomegalovirus antagonizes SMC5/6 driven genome silencing via UL35 instituted proteasomal degradation of SLF2

This study identifies UL35 as a viral protein that degrades SLF2, preventing SMC5/6 from silencing HCMV genomes.

Human cytomegalovirus virion delivered UL14 is a viral tropism factor for epithelial cells

This paper identifies UL14 as a viral protein essential for HCMV infection of epithelial cells, showing its role in post-entry, pre-IE transcription and suggesting it as a potential target for antiviral therapies.

Cytomegalovirus pentamer dependent endocytic cellular infection utilizes redundant entry receptors in the guinea pig model

This study identifies redundant entry receptors for GPCMV in guinea pig cells, showing that PDGFRA and NRP2 mediate direct and endocytic entry respectively, with additional receptor ThBD contributing to infection in epithelial cells.

M-CSF drives alveolar macrophage plasticity during development and cytomegalovirus infection

This study shows that M-CSF drives alveolar macrophage plasticity during development and CMV infection, increasing ISG expression and modulating infection susceptibility.

High-throughput epitope screening of the Human Cytomegalovirus immediate early protein 2 identifies promising antigenic T cell targets

This study identifies novel T cell epitopes in the HCMV IE2 protein using synthetic long peptides and flow cytometry, highlighting potential vaccine candidates.

Analyzing Human Cytomegalovirus GenotypeDiversity by Modelling Viral Population Dynamics

The paper models viral population dynamics of HCMV to understand genotype diversity formation using observed genotype frequencies from Austrian patients.

Chromosome-associated spot formation by human cytomegalovirus immediate early 1 (IE1) protein

This study identifies a novel mitotic localization pattern of HCMV IE1 protein called chromosome-associated spots (CAS) in leukemia and glioblastoma cells, suggesting a new cell-type specific function.

Congenital CMV infection drives oligoclonal expansion of cytotoxic γδ T cells from early fetal progenitors

The paper shows congenital CMV infection leads to oligoclonal expansion of cytotoxic γδ T cells with fetal-like TCR features in neonates.

Antibody Reveals Conformational Latch Controlling Herpesvirus Proteases

The paper identifies a conserved loop in herpesvirus proteases that controls dimerization and enzyme activity, presenting a new target for antiviral inhibitors.

Interstrain Recombinants of Human Cytomegalovirus Reveals Complex Genetic Correlates and Epistasis Influencing Glycoprotein Display, Virion Infectivity and Spread Characteristics.

This paper generates recombinant HCMV strains from two distinct parental isolates to study genetic correlates of glycoprotein display, infectivity, and spread characteristics, revealing complex epistasis and non-causal relationships among these phenotypes.

Parsing the Functions of Immediate Early Proteins in HCMV Infection Outcome

This study shows that overexpression of HCMV IE1 or IE2 enhances productive infection, with IE2 driving early gene expression and IE1 disrupting PML nuclear bodies to promote lytic infection.

Human Cytomegalovirus Infection of Primary Human Oral Keratinocytes Induces Intermediate Keratinocyte Differentiation and an Altered Innate Immune Response

This study investigates HCMV infection in primary human oral keratinocytes, showing it drives dysregulated intermediate differentiation and alters immune responses to support viral replication.

DISC1-PML protein interaction for congenital CMV infection-induced cortical neural progenitor deficit: perturbance of host signaling via viral IE1

This study identifies the role of CMV viral protein IE1 in disrupting host DISC1-PML interaction, leading to neural progenitor deficits in congenital CMV infection.

Selective knockout of key CMV receptors in fetal cells blocks direct and endocytic pathways of entry in the guinea pig

This study identifies key receptors for GPCMV entry in guinea pig cells and shows that knocking out these receptors blocks infection while leaving HSV-1 unaffected.

Murine cytomegalovirus evolved a cell-cycle regulator (m54.5) within the highly conserved viral DNA polymerase gene

This study identifies m54.5 as a novel gene within the conserved MCMV DNA polymerase locus that encodes a protein regulating cell cycle arrest, with functional similarity to HCMV UL21a but not essential for viral replication.

Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals that the Local Immune Response to Placental Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus Infection is Driven by Chemokine Signaling

This study uses spatial transcriptomics to show that GPCMV infection disrupts placental function by altering chemokine signaling and antiviral defense in specific regions.

CMV-specific clonal expansion of Th1, GZMK⁺ CD8⁺, and TEMRA T cells revealed by human PBMC single cell profiling

The paper uses single-cell profiling to show CMV drives clonal expansion of GZMK CD8 and Th1 cells in humans.

Cellular antibody affinity-based CRISPR Screening identifies JUNB as a broadly acting anti-viral factor

The paper introduces a CRISPR screening method called VIRCAA to identify genes affecting HCMV infection, finding JUNB as an anti-viral factor.