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Expression of Human Cytomegalovirus Immediate Early Antigens Is Responsible for a Novel Chromatin Structure of Infected Human Embryonic Lung Cells
Author(s) -
MaedaTakekoshi Fumiko,
Takekoshi Masataka,
Ihara Seiji,
Watanabe Yasushi
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1988.tb01375.x
Subject(s) - chromatin , biology , human cytomegalovirus , embryonic stem cell , nucleosome , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , in vitro , sv40 large t antigen , virology , transfection , gene , virus , immunology , genetics
Whereas human embryonic lung (HEL) cells displayed chromatin fibers composed of a repeat of conventional nucleosomes of 15 nm in diameter, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection induced transient appearance of a novel chromatin structure composed of a repeat of large ellipsoids of 45–65 nm x 15–30 nm with linkers of 50–60 nm long and 6–7 nm thick. Essentially the same change in chromatin structure could be induced when uninfected HEL cell nuclei were incubated in vitro with a 0.4 m NaCl nuclear extract from HCMV‐infected HEL cells expressing immediate early antigens (IEA's) or with a similar nuclear extract from NIH/3T3 cells constitutively expressing HCMV IEA's. The latter cell line was established by transformation of the mouse cells with a plasmid carrying the HCMV major immediate early and immediate early 2 genes. These results together with those of control experiments suggest that the expression of IEA's is directly or indirectly responsible for the appearance of the novel chromatin structure in HCMV‐infected HEL cells.