C. Kelly et al., DISRUPTION OF PML-ASSOCIATED NUCLEAR-BODIES DURING HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION, Journal of General Virology, 76, 1995, pp. 2887-2893
PML is a protein associated with discrete spherical structures within
the nucleus of normal cells. A defect in PML expression is observed in
acute promyelocytic leukaemia as a consequence of a chromosomal trans
location involving the genes encoding PML and the alpha retinoic acid
receptor (RAR alpha). Disruption of PML bodies also occurs during herp
es simplex virus infection after the immediate early protein Vmw110 ha
s become associated with PML bodies. In this study, we followed the fa
te of PML bodies in human fibroblasts during the course of a human cyt
omegalovirus (CMV) infection. Disruption of PML bodies was observed to
be dependent on de novo CMV gene expression and to occur within 4 h p
ost-infection, concomitant with the onset of CMV IE gene expression. A
lthough a transient increase in the number of PML bodies could be obse
rved in some cells, PML exists predominantly as a diffuse nuclear prot
ein during both the early and fate stages of CMV infection. Although t
he function of PML bodies is still uncertain, their disruption may be
important for efficient herpes virus replication.