Major tegument protein of Human cytomegalovirus (pp65) (pp65 (also known as UL83))

pp65 is the principal tegument protein of HCMV, constituting a significant portion of the virion mass[3]. Its key roles are as a structural scaffolding protein and as a "modulator" of the host immune response. It directly inhibits host antiviral signaling by blocking IRF-3 nuclear accumulation and interferon signaling[2][6], reduces NF-κB DNA-binding in infected cells, and interacts with NK cell receptors to suppress cytotoxicity[1][6]. pp65 is dispensable for viral replication in fibroblasts but is important for efficient replication in monocyte-derived macrophages[1]. As one of the most immunogenic HCMV antigens, pp65 is central to both cellular and humoral immune responses, and its presence is widely used for diagnosing and monitoring active HCMV infection in clinical practice via antigenemia assays and T cell response tests[2][4]. It is also under investigation as a target for HCMV vaccine development and adoptive T cell therapies[2][4][5].

Other names

pp65UL83HCMV pp65Human cytomegalovirus pp65CMV pp65

For therapies and monitoring: induction of protective T cell responses, antibody generation, monitoring via pp65 antigenemia assays in transplantation