THE HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS MAJOR IMMEDIATE-EARLY GENE

Immediate-early genes function to regulate viral and cellular gene exp ression during the course of virus replication. The major immediate-ea rly gene region of human cytomegalovirus plays a key role in affecting activation and repression of viral and cellular genes. These proteins intimately associate and/or interact with viral and cellular proteins during this process. Herein, we will discuss the current understandin g of this complex gene region.