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Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes lifelong persistence and latency, yet little is known about viral gene expression during these states in vivo. Using a rat heart transplant model of chronic rejection, where rat CMV (RCMV) accelerates transplant vascular sclerosis, this work characterizes dynamic patterns of viral transcription associated with persistence. Microarray analysis shows that RCMV gene expression is highly restricted and shifts rapidly from replication‑associated genes to those involved in immune evasion. This dissertation identifies 24 RCMV microRNAs with tissue‑specific, stage‑specific expression and characterizes the highly expressed viral gene R116, which is essential for producing infectious virus. These findings advance understanding of CMV gene regulation and mechanisms underlying viral persistence and pathogenesis.