Signal transduction is a common process used by an extensive array of biological ligands to modulate various host cell processes such as growth, differentiation, and proliferation. CMV is a herpes virus that infects most cell types and establishes latency ... in leukocytes. A CMV infection is normally subclinical but can be fatal in immunocompromised individuals or if the infection is acquired in utero. Cells respond to CMV (Cytomegalovirus) by invoking a cascade of biological and physiological responses resulting in signal transduction and regulation of cellular gene expression, including induction of genes in the IFN (Interferons)-responsive family. MAPK activation by CMV leads to activation of transcription of viral genes, increasing the production of viral gene products. The MEKK1 regulates the immediate early promoter indirectly through downstream kinase signaling and directly through activation of NF-KappaB (Nuclear Factor-kappaB). The mechanism of activation of NF-KappaB involves the liberation of transcription factor from the inhibitory subunit I-KappaB-Alpha (Inhibitor of Kappa Light Chain Gene Enhancer in B-Cells-Alpha) and is mediated by a GB-dependent mechanism through IKKs (I-KappaB Kinases). The early activation of NF-KappaB is amplified by other mechanisms later during infection. This second wave of NF-KappaB activation relies on NF-KappaB-dependent activation of the CMV major immediate-early promoter. MAPK pathways activated by CMV converge on increased transcription of viral genes and increased replication of the viral genome.
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