Human cytomegalovirus disrupts constitutive MHC class II expression

CD8(+) and CD4(+) T lymphocytes are important in controlling human CMV (HCMV) infection, but the virus has evolved protean mechanisms to inhibit MHC-based Ag presentation and escape T lymphocyte immunosurveillance. Herein, the interaction of HCMV with the MHC class II Ag presentation pathway was investigated in cells stably transfected with class II transactivator. Flow cytometry experiments demonstrate that HCMV infection decreases cell-surface MHC class II expression. HCMV downregulates MHC class II surface expression without a significant effect on class II RNA or steady-state protein levels. SDS-stability and confocal microscopy experiments demonstrate normal levels of steady-state peptide-loaded class II molecules in infected cells and that class II molecules reach late endosomal and HLA-DM positive peptide-loading compartments. However, MHC class II positive vesicles are retained in an abnormal perinuclear distribution. Finally, experiments with a mutant HCMV strain demonstrate that this novel mechanism of decreased MHC class II expression is not mediated by one of the known HCMV immunomodulatory genes. These defects in MHC class II expression combined with previously identified CMV strategies for decreasing MHC class I expression enables infected cells to evade T lymphocyte immunosurveillance.