Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40202318›Full record

ArticleJournal of virology2025

Human cytomegalovirus gH/gL/gO binding to PDGFRα provides a regulatory signal activating the fusion protein gB that can be blocked by neutralizing antibodies.

Eric P Schultz, Lars Ponsness, Jean-Marc Lanchy, Matthias Zehner, Florian Klein, Brent J Ryckman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of virology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Eric P SchultzDivision of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2259-6912
Lars PonsnessDivision of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.
Jean-Marc LanchyDivision of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.
Matthias ZehnerLaboratory for Infection and Immune Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Florian KleinInstitute of Virology, University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1376-1792
Brent J RyckmanDivision of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2345-3099

Funding

Surveillance genome sequencing to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus variants in MontanaP20GM103546 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA · PI BOWLER, BRUCE E · 2012 to 2021
$19.2M
Surveillance genome sequencing to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus variants in MontanaP30GM140963 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA · PI BOWLER, BRUCE E · 2021 to 2025
$6.9M
HCMV gH/gL complexes: Distinct roles for epithelial cell tropism, and implications for antibody neutralization.R01AI097274 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA · PI RYCKMAN, BRENT J. · 2012 to 2020
$3.4M
American Heart Association 17POST33350043National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases R01AI097274NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI097274NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM103546NIGMS NIH HHS P30 GM140963
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Herpesviruses require membrane fusion for entry and spread, a process facilitated by the fusion glycoprotein B (gB) and the regulatory factor gH/gL. The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gH/gL can be modified by the accessory protein gO, or the set of proteins UL128, UL130, and UL131. While the binding of the gH/gL/gO and gH/gL/UL128-131 complexes to cellular receptors, including PDGFRα and NRP2, has been well-characterized structurally, the specific role of receptor engagements by the gH/gL/gO and gH/gL/UL128-131 in regulation of fusion has remained unclear. We describe a cell-cell fusion assay that can quantitatively measure fusion on a timescale of minutes and demonstrate that binding of gH/gL/gO to PDGFRα dramatically enhances gB-mediated cell-cell fusion. In contrast, gH/gL/pUL128-131-regulated fusion is significantly slower, and gH/gL alone cannot promote gB fusion activity within this timescale. The genetic diversity of gO influenced the observed cell-cell fusion rates, correlating with previously reported effects on HCMV infectivity. Mutations in gL that had no effect on the formation of gH/gL/gO or binding to PDGFRa dramatically reduced the cell-cell fusion rate, suggesting that gL plays a critical role in linking the gH/gL/gO-PDGFRa receptor binding to activation of gB. Several neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies were found to potently block gH/gL/gO-PDGFRa-regulated cell-cell fusion, suggesting this mechanism as a therapeutic target. IMPORTANCE: Development of vaccines and therapeutics targeting the fusion apparatus of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been limited by the lack of an

Indexed as

Antibodies, NeutralizingCytomegalovirusReceptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alphaViral Envelope ProteinsViral Fusion ProteinsCell FusionCell LineCytomegalovirus InfectionsHEK293 CellsHumansMembrane GlycoproteinsProtein BindingSignal TransductionVirus InternalizationAntibodies, Neutralizingglycoprotein H, Cytomegalovirusglycoprotein O, cytomegalovirusMembrane GlycoproteinsReceptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alphaUL115 protein, Human herpesvirus 5Viral Envelope ProteinsViral Fusion Proteinsglycoproteinshuman cytomegalovirusmembrane fusionvirus entry

Identifiers

PMID40202318
PMCPMC12090739

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.