Characterization of human cytomegalovirus UL84 early gene and identification of its putative protein product.

The DNA sequence and transcription pattern of human cytomegalovirus early gene UL84 were analyzed. This gene was mapped within a 2.6-kb PstI fragment located between 0.534 and 0.545 map unit of the large unique segment of the human cytomegalovirus genome, which is adjacent to the pp65 and pp71 genes. A 2.0-kb mRNA was transcribed from this region in the same leftward direction as the mRNAs of the pp65 and pp71 genes. The message was first detected at 2.5 h postinfection and reached a maximal level between 72 and 96 h postinfection. The nucleotide sequences of the 2.6-kb PstI genomic DNA fragment and the cDNA derived from this region were determined. The resulting data revealed a polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) located 14 nucleotides upstream from the poly(A) tail of the cDNA and a 1,761-bp open reading frame capable of encoding a 65-kDa polypeptide. A potential leucine zipper was found in the N-terminal half of the peptide molecule between amino acids 114 and 135. In addition, a different periodic leucine repeat with leucine at every eighth position was found between amino acids 325 and 373. The transcriptional initiation site of this early gene was determined by primer extension analysis. A putative TATA box (TATTTAA) located 24 bp upstream of the cap site and several inverted repeats were found in the region further upstream of the TATA box. To test whether the open reading frame of this cDNA encodes a virus-specific protein, the cDNA was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein used to generate antibodies in rabbits. A protein with a molecular size of 65 kDa was detected in the infected-cell extracts harvested at 6 to 72 h postinfection, but not in purified virions, using immunoblot analysis. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic fluorescences were found at late stages of virus infection. From the results obtained, we postulate that UL84 may be a stable, virus-specific, nonstructural protein capable of forming a homo- or heterodimeric molecule.