# Deciphering the cell type specific control of HCMV tegument-delivered pp71 subcellular localization

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2021 · $194,323

## Abstract

Herpesviruses package virally-encoded transcriptional activating proteins into the tegument layer of
their virions. The tegument transactivator encoded by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the pp71 protein.
When cells are productively infected, pp71 is released into the cytoplasm, translocates to the nucleus, and
activates viral immediate early (IE) transcription. Herpesviruses also establish latent infections where
productive phase gene expression is absent or attenuated. Tegument-delivered pp71 remains in the
cytoplasm of the primary CD34+ cells where HCMV establishes latency. Thus, the subcellular localization of
tegument-delivered pp71 differentially correlates with IE transcriptional activity during lytic infection (pp71 in
the nucleus, IE transcription on) and latency (pp71 in the cytoplasm, IE transcription off). Here, we propose
to identify the natural way in which the subcellular localization of tegument-delivered pp71 is controlled as a
first step toward developing a method to artificially control it, and thus control the fate of an HCMV infection
(lytic or latent).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10176409
- **Project number:** 5R21AI154390-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT F KALEJTA
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $194,323
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10176409

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10176409, Deciphering the cell type specific control of HCMV tegument-delivered pp71 subcellular localization (5R21AI154390-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10176409. Licensed CC0.

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