The human cytomegalovirus chemokine receptor US28 mediates vascular smoothmuscle cell migration

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in viv o has been linked to a viral etiology of vascular disease. In this report, we demonstrate that HCMV infection of primary arterial SMCs results in sign ificant cellular migration. Ablation of the chemokine receptor, US28, abrog ates SMC migration, which is rescued only by expression of the viral homolo g and not a cellular G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Expression of US28 in the presence of CC chemokines including RANTES or MCP-1 was sufficient t o promote SMC migration by both chemokinesis and chemotaxis, which was inhi bited by protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors. US28-mediated SMC migration pr ovides a molecular basis for the correlative evidence that links HCMV to th e acceleration of vascular disease.