%0 Journal Article
%A Caragliano, Enrico
%A Bonazza, Stefano
%A Frascaroli, Giada
%A Tang, Jiajia
%A Soh, Timothy K.
%A Grünewald, Kay
%A Bosse, Jens Bernhard
%A Brune, Wolfram
%T Human cytomegalovirus forms phase-separated compartments at viral genomes to facilitate viral replication
%J Cell reports
%V 38
%N 10
%@ 2211-1247
%C [New York, NY]
%I Elsevier
%M PUBDB-2024-00343
%P 110469 
%D 2022
%X SummaryHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replicates its DNA genome in specialized replication compartments (RCs) in the host cell nucleus. These membrane-less organelles originate as spherical structures and grow in size over time. However, the mechanism of RC biogenesis has remained understudied. Using live-cell imaging and photo-oligomerization, we show that a central component of RCs, the UL112-113 proteins, undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to form RCs in the nucleus. We show that the self-interacting domain and large intrinsically disordered regions of UL112-113 are required for LLPS. Importantly, viral DNA induces local clustering of these proteins and lowers the threshold for phase separation. The formation of phase-separated compartments around viral genomes is necessary to recruit the viral DNA polymerase for viral genome replication. Thus, HCMV uses its UL112-113 proteins to generate RCs around viral genomes by LLPS to ensure the formation of a pro-replicative environment. 
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ pmid:35263605
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000768295500003
%R 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110469
%U https://bib-pubdb1.desy.de/record/601650