The long-term objectives of this research are to develop a better understanding of the molecular events involved in cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication, and to contribute to the development of strategies for diagnosing and treating CMV-related diseases of man. Attention will be focused on three sets of CMV proteins that results obtained during the first grant period have indicated are both central to the virus' replication cycle, and of interest in a clinical diagnostic and therapeutic context. The first of these are DNA-binding proteins and are expressed early during virus replication. The second set consists of structural phosphoproteins of the virus particle, which are abundant and appear to elicit a strong and lasting immune response in both man and laboratory animals. And the third set comprises the viral glycoproteins, which are of interest in terms of their biogenesis and function, and of importance as subunit vaccine candidates.
The specific aims are to (i) prepare antibodies (monoclonal and polyclonal) to these proteins; (ii) use resulting antibodies to study the corresponding protein's function; (iii) adapt immunological reagents to diagnostic assays and compare their usefulness for this purpose with that of nucleic acid probes; and (iv) use the lamda gtll expression vector system, in conjunction with antibodies mentioned above to identify, map and study the CMV genes coding for proteins of interest. Procedures used will include protein purification; poly- and monoclonal antibody production; antibody assays by immunofluorescence, ELISA, immunoprecipitation and """"""""Towbin gel replica immunoassay""""""""; infectivity analyses; and recombinant DNA methodologies for producing, propagating and characterizing specific fragments of the CMV genome.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI022711-04
Application #
3134213
Study Section
Virology Study Section (VR)
Project Start
1985-08-01
Project End
1990-07-31
Budget Start
1988-08-01
Budget End
1989-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
045911138
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
Margulies, B J; Browne, H; Gibson, W (1996) Identification of the human cytomegalovirus G protein-coupled receptor homologue encoded by UL33 in infected cells and enveloped virus particles. Virology 225:111-25
Greis, K D; Gibson, W; Hart, G W (1994) Site-specific glycosylation of the human cytomegalovirus tegument basic phosphoprotein (UL32) at serine 921 and serine 952. J Virol 68:8339-49
Gibson, W; Welch, A R; Ludford, J M (1994) Transient transfection assay of the herpesvirus maturational proteinase, assemblin. Methods Enzymol 244:399-411
Welch, A R; McNally, L M; Hall, M R et al. (1993) Herpesvirus proteinase: site-directed mutagenesis used to study maturational, release, and inactivation cleavage sites of precursor and to identify a possible catalytic site serine and histidine. J Virol 67:7360-72
Welch, A R; Woods, A S; McNally, L M et al. (1991) A herpesvirus maturational proteinase, assemblin: identification of its gene, putative active site domain, and cleavage site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88:10792-6
Welch, A R; McNally, L M; Gibson, W (1991) Cytomegalovirus assembly protein nested gene family: four 3'-coterminal transcripts encode four in-frame, overlapping proteins. J Virol 65:4091-100
Schenk, P; Woods, A S; Gibson, W (1991) The 45-kilodalton protein of cytomegalovirus (Colburn) B-capsids is an amino-terminal extension form of the assembly protein. J Virol 65:1525-9
Gibson, W; McNally, L M; Benveniste, R E et al. (1990) Evidence that HIV-1 gag precursor shares antigenic sites with the major capsid protein of human cytomegalovirus. Virology 175:595-9
Gibson, W; Marcy, A I; Comolli, J C et al. (1990) Identification of precursor to cytomegalovirus capsid assembly protein and evidence that processing results in loss of its carboxy-terminal end. J Virol 64:1241-9
Robson, L; Gibson, W (1989) Primate cytomegalovirus assembly protein: genome location and nucleotide sequence. J Virol 63:669-76

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