Human cytomegalovirus UL131A protein (UL131A)

The Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL131A protein is a critical subunit of the viral pentameric glycoprotein complex (gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A), which is essential for the virus to infect epithelial, endothelial, and myeloid cells [1, 2, 14, 15]. While laboratory-adapted strains often lose this complex and the associated cell tropism, clinical isolates require UL131A to maintain their ability to infect a broad range of host cells critical for systemic dissemination [6, 16]. UL131A functions as a key receptor-binding ligand, interacting with host factors such as Neuropilin 2 (NRP2) to facilitate viral entry and membrane fusion in non-fibroblast cell types [2, 14]. As a therapeutic target, UL131A is highly significant because it contains several potently neutralizing epitopes targeted by the human immune system during natural infection [10, 15]. Many next-generation HCMV vaccines, such as mRNA-1647, and monoclonal antibody therapies, such as RG7667 and LJP539, target the pentameric complex to prevent infection of cells involved in congenital transmission and disease in immunocompromised patients [10, 16, 17]. Therapeutic agents targeting this protein generally act by blocking the interaction between the viral pentamer and host receptors, thereby neutralizing the virus and preventing its entry into vulnerable tissues [10, 14].

Other names

Protein UL131AHuman cytomegalovirus UL131 proteinpUL131ARL131HCMV UL131APentameric complex subunit UL131A

Neutralization of viral entry and membrane fusion by blocking the interaction between the pentameric complex and host cell receptors such as Neuropilin 2 on epithelial, endothelial, and myeloid cells.