Plasma membrane proteins and glycoproteins induced by human cytomegalovirus infection of human embryonic fibroblasts.

An analysis of the plasma membrane proteins of human embryonic fibroblasts (HEF) infected with human cytomegalovirus strain AD169 (HCMV) was performed using in vitro radioactive labelling techniques followed by PAGE. Of the 12 virus-induced proteins detected in infected cells, glycoproteins of mol. wt. 34000 (34K), 53K to 55K, 60K to 63K, 70K to 72K, 98K to 103K and 145K to 150K and proteins of 130K to 133K and 260K to 270K were considered significant. The 60K to 63K, 70K to 72K and 130K to 133K components were detectable at early stages of infection (8 h), although only the latter two were labelled by surface iodination. The others only appeared in the membrane from 48 h to 80 h after infection. Serological studies indicated that the 34K, 70K to 72K, 98K to 103K and 145K to 150K components may be HCMV-specified virion constituents, as these glycoproteins reacted with antibodies raised against virions and extracted envelope glycoproteins. Of immunological importance was the exposure on the cell surface of the protein moieties of 70K to 72K and 130K to 133K proteins at 8 h and 53K to 55K, 60K to 63K, 70K to 72K and 145K to 150K components at 80 to 90 h after infection. Pooled human immune sera contained antibodies which reacted with these exposed proteins, as well as with three other virus-induced membrane components of 230K to 240K, 98K to 103K and 78K to 80K.