HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS 2 UL45 IS A TYPE-II MEMBRANE-PROTEIN

In addition to eleven glycoproteins, the herpes simplex virus type 2 ( HSV-2) genome encodes several proteins with potential membrane spannin g segments but no asparagine-linked carbohydrates, One of these is UL4 5. Fractionation of infected cells showed that HSV-2 UL45 is an integr al membrane protein, and analysis of UL45 mutants with potential glyco sylation sites showed that it has a type II membrane orientation, the first HSV protein known to have this orientation. Furthermore, it is d etectable in infected cells at a time similar to that when glycoprotei ns gB and gD are detected, consistent with a role in cell-cell fusion, which has previously been found for HSV-1 UL45.