Eukaryotic Expression of Human Cytomegalovirus ( HCMV ) Glycoprotein H ( gH )

ABSTRACT

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein H (gH) is one of target molecules in the human immune response to HCMV infection. This study was performed to rneasure the immune responses to HCMV gH in human sera by the expression of HCMV gH in eukaryotic cells. Amplified DNA from the gene encoding gH of HCMV by polymerase chain reaction was cloned into pcDNA3 to construct eukaryotic expression vector. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that the expressed gH in mammalian cells was reactive with the specific monoclonal antibody. Antibody titer in patient's sera with HCMV infection was measured with HCMV-infected fibroblasts and HCMV gH expressed in mammalian cells. Anti-HCMV gH antibody titer was higher in patient group than in healthy control group. There was no correlation between the antibody titer to the whole HCMV and neutralizing antibody titer, and between the antibody titer to whole HCMV and whole gH. Conclusively it is highly recommendable to use the defined antigen such as HCMV gH for the detection of antibody in HCMV-infected persons in the aspect of immunological properties.