CMV ICP8

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a genus of viruses in the order Herpesvirales, in the family Herpesviridae, in the subfamily Betaherpesvirinae. Humans and monkeys serve as natural hosts. There are currently eight species in this genus including the type species, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV, human herpesvirus 5, HHV-5), which is the species that infects humans. Diseases associated with HHV-5 include glandular fever, and pneumonia. In the medical literature, most mentions of CMV without further specification refer implicitly to human CMV. Human CMV is the most studied of all cytomegaloviruses. CMV ICP8, also known as UL57, is an early, nonstructural gene product that localizes to the nucleus of infected cells. CMV ICP8 is a single-stranded DNA binding protein that is required for the replication of viral DNA.