A subset of viral transcripts packaged within human cytomegalovirus particles.

A human cytomegalovirus gene array was used to identify a previously unidentified class of viral transcripts. These transcripts, termed virion RNAs, were packaged within infectious virions and were delivered to the host cell on infection. This mechanism of herpesvirus gene expression allows for viral genes to be expressed within an infected cell immediately after virus entry and in the absence of transcription from the viral genome.