Cytomegalovirus recruitment of cellular kinases to dissolve the nuclear lamina

The passage of large-sized herpesviral capsids through the nuclear lamina and the inner nuclear membrane to leave the nucleus requires a dissolution of the nuclear lamina. Here, we report on the functions of M50/p35, a beta-herpesviral protein of murine cytomegalovirus. M50/p35 inserts into the inner nuclear membrane and is aggregated by a second viral protein, M53/p38, to form the capsid docking site. M50/p35 recruits the cellular protein kinase C for phosphorylation and dissolution of the nuclear lamina, suggesting that herpesviruses target a critical element of nuclear architecture.