Table 3.

The HCMV and RhCMV gene products involved in MHC manipulation 47, 48, 49, 50, 51

Gene product in HCMV	Gene product in RhCMV	Effect on MHC expression
	Down‐regulation of MHC class Ia on the cell surface
US2, US11	Rh182, Rh189	Retrotranslocation of MHC class Ia from endoplasmic reticulum to cytoplasm, for degradation in the proteasome
US6	Rh185	Alters TAP conformation and peptide binding to MHC class Ia groove
US3	Rh184	Interacts with tapasin and prevents peptide binding to MHC class Ia groove
	Up‐regulation of MHC class Ib/prevention of cytotoxic responses
UL18	Not present	HLA class Ia functional homologue that can bind inhibitory LIR1 T‐cell receptor
UL40	Rh67	Stabilizes and up‐regulates MHC‐E at the cell surface

HLA = human leucocyte antigen; HCMV = human cytomegalovirus; LIR1 = leucocyte immunoglobulin‐like receptor 1; MHC = major histocompatibility complex; RhCMV = rhesus cytomegalovirus; TAP = transporter associated with antigen processing.