Transcriptional analysis of the eight-kilobase mRNA encoding the major capsid protein of human cytomegalovirus.

The 8-kilobase mRNA coding for the major capsid protein (MCP) of human cytomegalovirus was precisely mapped. Two 5' ends of the transcript were located within HindIII fragment a, 29 and 34 base pairs, respectively, downstream of the sequence TATTAGA. The 3' end was localized within HindIII fragment b of the viral genome. The MCP transcript was synthesized at late times after infection and was not detected before viral DNA replication. In addition, the MCP promoter region could be identified, which strongly responded to viral trans activation at early and late times after infection in a transient expression assay.