Recombinant Murine Cytomegalovirus Rvm78, And Its Related Reagents

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus infecting more than 75% of the U.S population. It is a leading cause of birth defects in newborns, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant recipients and patients with AIDS, and even in healthy adults, this virus causes a life-long subclinical infection that may be associated with the development of atherosclerosis. Study of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) serves as a model for understanding of HCMV- associated diseases.
The reagents covered in this invention include (1) MCMV mutant (RvM78) that contained a mutation at viral open reading frame M78, (2) an expression plasmid construct (pM78-FLAG) that contains M78 coding sequence driven by an eukaryotic expression cassette, and (3) a mouse 3T3 cell line that contains pM78-Flag and expresses M78 protein.

References:
Zhan et al. 2000 Virology 266:264-74.
Zhan et al. 2000 J. Virology 74:7411-21

Applications

These materials can be used to further elucidate the function of M78 in tissue culture and in vivo.
These reagents can be used for drug and vaccine development for treatment and prevention of CMV-associated diseases.