Objective To determine whether human cytomegalovirus (CMV) matrix protein PP150 is efficiently presented for CMV-specific CTL recognition. Methods Recombinant vaccinia virus (Vac. PP150) encoding human CMV structural matrix protein PP150 was constructed with vaccinia vector PSC11 and it was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5 CMV seropositive individuals. Results PP150-specific CTLs could be generated in all of them, which not only lysed Vac. PP150-infected fibroblasts, but also lysed CMV-infected targets. In the presence of RNA synthesis inhibitor Actinomycin D (Act D) or at very early stage of infection, PP150-specific CTL lysed CMV-infected targets as efficiently as in the absence of Act D or at late stage of infection. Conclusions PP150 exogenously introduced with the virus infection could be efficiently presented prior to viral DNA replication and PP150 is one of the major target antigens for CTL recognition.

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