This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chapman, T. L.
Right arrow Articles by Bjorkman, P. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chapman, T. L.
Right arrow Articles by Bjorkman, P. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Virol., 01 1998, 460-466, Vol 72, No. 1
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology

Characterization of a murine cytomegalovirus class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) homolog: comparison to MHC molecules and to the human cytomegalovirus MHC homolog

TL Chapman and PJ Bjorkman
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.

Both human and murine cytomegaloviruses (HCMV and MCMV) down-regulate expression of conventional class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules at the surfaces of infected cells. This allows the infected cells to evade recognition by cytotoxic T cells but leaves them susceptible to natural killer cells, which lyse cells that lack class I molecules. Both HCMV and MCMV encode class I MHC heavy-chain homologs that may function in immune response evasion. We previously showed that a soluble form of the HCMV class I homolog (U(L)18) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells binds the class I MHC light- chain beta2-microglobulin and a mixture of endogenous peptides (M. L. Fahnestock, J. L. Johnson, R. M. R. Feldman, J. M. Neveu, W. S. Lane, and P. J. Bjorkman, Immunity 3:583-590, 1995). Consistent with this observation, sequence comparisons suggest that U(L)18 contains the well- characterized groove that serves as the binding site in MHC molecules for peptides derived from endogenous and foreign proteins. By contrast, the MCMV homolog (m144) contains a substantial deletion within the counterpart of its alpha2 domain and might not be expected to contain a groove capable of binding peptides. We have now expressed a soluble version of m144 and verified that it forms a heavy chain-beta2- microglobulin complex. By contrast to U(L)18 and classical class I MHC molecules, m144 does not associate with endogenous peptides yet is thermally stable. These results suggest that U(L)18 and m144 differ structurally and might therefore serve different functions for their respective viruses.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Wagner, C. S., Ljunggren, H.-G., Achour, A. (2008). Immune Modulation by the Human Cytomegalovirus-Encoded Molecule UL18, a Mystery Yet to Be Solved. J. Immunol. 180: 19-24 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mans, J., Natarajan, K., Balbo, A., Schuck, P., Eikel, D., Hess, S., Robinson, H., Simic, H., Jonjic, S., Tiemessen, C. T., Margulies, D. H. (2007). Cellular Expression and Crystal Structure of the Murine Cytomegalovirus Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I-like Glycoprotein, m153. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 35247-35258 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wagner, C. S., Riise, G. C., Bergstrom, T., Karre, K., Carbone, E., Berg, L. (2007). Increased Expression of Leukocyte Ig-Like Receptor-1 and Activating Role of UL18 in the Response to Cytomegalovirus Infection. J. Immunol. 178: 3536-3543 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vales-Gomez, M., Shiroishi, M., Maenaka, K., Reyburn, H. T. (2005). Genetic Variability of the Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Homologue Encoded by Human Cytomegalovirus Leads to Differential Binding to the Inhibitory Receptor ILT2. J. Virol. 79: 2251-2260 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Smith, H. R. C., Heusel, J. W., Mehta, I. K., Kim, S., Dorner, B. G., Naidenko, O. V., Iizuka, K., Furukawa, H., Beckman, D. L., Pingel, J. T., Scalzo, A. A., Fremont, D. H., Yokoyama, W. M. (2002). Recognition of a virus-encoded ligand by a natural killer cell activation receptor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 8826-8831 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Arase, H., Mocarski, E. S., Campbell, A. E., Hill, A. B., Lanier, L. L. (2002). Direct Recognition of Cytomegalovirus by Activating and Inhibitory NK Cell Receptors. Science 296: 1323-1326 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Oliveira, S. A., Park, S.-H., Lee, P., Bendelac, A., Shenk, T. E. (2002). Murine Cytomegalovirus m02 Gene Family Protects against Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Immune Surveillance. J. Virol. 76: 885-894 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Abendroth, A., Lin, I., Slobedman, B., Ploegh, H., Arvin, A. M. (2001). Varicella-Zoster Virus Retains Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Proteins in the Golgi Compartment of Infected Cells. J. Virol. 75: 4878-4888 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Beisser, P. S., Kloover, J. S., Grauls, G. E. L. M., Blok, M. J., Bruggeman, C. A., Vink, C. (2000). The r144 Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I-Like Gene of Rat Cytomegalovirus Is Dispensable for both Acute and Long-Term Infection in the Immunocompromised Host. J. Virol. 74: 1045-1050 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cretney, E., Degli-Esposti, M. A., Densley, E. H., Farrell, H. E., Davis-Poynter, N. J., Smyth, M. J. (1999). M144, a Murine Cytomegalovirus (Mcmv)-Encoded Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Homologue, Confers Tumor Resistance to Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Rejection. JEM 190: 435-444 [Abstract] [Full Text]