%0 Journal Article %A May, Janet S. %A Coleman, Heather M. %A Boname, Jessica M. %A Stevenson, Philip G. %T Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 ORF28 encodes a non-essential virion glycoprotein %D 2005 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 86 %N 4 %P 919-928 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.80661-0 %I Microbiology Society, %X Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV-68) ORF28 is a gammaherpesvirus-specific gene of unknown function. Analysis of epitope-tagged ORF28 protein indicated that it was membrane-associated and incorporated into virions in N-glycosylated, O-glycosylated and unglycosylated forms. The extensive glycosylation of the small ORF28 extracellular domain – most forms of the protein appeared to be mainly carbohydrate by weight – suggested that a major function of ORF28 is to attach a variety of glycans to the virion surface. MHV-68 lacking ORF28 showed normal lytic replication in vitro and in vivo and normal latency establishment. MHV-68 ORF28 therefore encodes a small, membrane-bound and extensively glycosylated virion protein, whose function is entirely dispensable for normal, single-cycle host colonization. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.80661-0