Publication Database

Impact of host telomere length on HHV-6 integration (2022)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Wight, Darren J. (WE 5)

Aimola, Giulia (WE 5)

Beythien, Georg (WE 5)

Flamand, Louis

Kaufer, Benedikt B. (WE 5)

Quelle

Viruses

Bandzählung: 14

Heftzählung: 9

Seiten: Artikel 1864

ISSN: 1999-4915

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/9/1864

DOI: 10.3390/v14091864

Pubmed: 36146670

Kontakt

Institut für Virologie

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 51833
virologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Human herpesvirus 6A and 6B are two closely related viruses that infect almost all humans. In contrast to most herpesviruses, HHV-6A/B can integrate their genomes into the telomeres during the infection process. Both viruses can also integrate in germ cells and subsequently be inherited in children. How HHV-6A/B integrate into host telomeres and the consequences of this remain a subject of active research. Here, we developed a method to measure telomere length by quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization, confocal microscopy, and computational processing. This method was validated using a panel of HeLa cells having short or long telomeres. These cell lines were infected with HHV-6A, revealing that the virus could efficiently integrate into telomeres independent of their length. Furthermore, we assessed the telomere lengths after HHV-6A integration and found that the virus-containing telomeres display a variety of lengths, suggesting that either telomere length is restored after integration or telomeres are not shortened by integration. Our results highlight new aspects of HHV-6A/B biology and the role of telomere length on virus integration.