Human cytomegalovirus US9 protein contains an N-terminal signal sequence and a C-terminal mitochondrial localization domain, and does not alter cellular sensitivity to apoptosis

The human cytomegalovirus (CMV) US2-US11 genomic region contains a cluster of genes whose products interfere with antigen presentation by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Although included in this cluster, the US9 gene encodes a glycoprotein that does not affect MHC activity and whose function is still largely uncharacterized. An in silico analysis of the US9 amino-acid sequence uncovered the presence of an N-terminal signal …