%0 Journal Article %A Adler, Barbara %A Scrivano, Laura %A Ruzcics, Zsolt %A Rupp, Brigitte %A Sinzger, Christian %A Koszinowski, Ulrich %T Role of human cytomegalovirus UL131A in cell type-specific virus entry and release %D 2006 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 87 %N 9 %P 2451-2460 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.81921-0 %I Microbiology Society, %X The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genes UL128, UL130 and UL131A are essential for endothelial cell infection. Complementation of the defective UL131A gene of the non-endotheliotropic HCMV strain AD169 with wild-type UL131A in cis in an ectopic position restored endothelial cell tropism. The UL131A protein was found in virions in a complex with gH. Coinfection of fibroblasts with UL131A-negative and -positive viruses restored the endothelial cell tropism of UL131A-negative virions by complementing the virions with UL131A protein. Virus entry into endothelial cells, but not into fibroblasts, was blocked by an antipeptide antiserum to pUL131A. AD169, cis-complemented with wild-type UL131A, showed an impaired release of infectious particles from fibroblasts. A comparable defect in virus release was observed when UL131A was expressed ectopically in a virus background already expressing an intact copy of UL131A. In contrast, virus release from infected endothelial cells was not affected by UL131A. These data suggest a dual role for pUL131A in virus entry and virus exit from infected cells. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.81921-0