To determine whether histone methylation plays a role in the efficiency of viral infection and replication, human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) were transduced with pLKO.1-based lentiviral constructs of shRNAs of NDY1/KDM2B, EZH2, PHF2 and RBP2/JARID1A/KDM5A, or with the empty vector, prior to infection with HCMV. The gene discussed is PHF2; the disease is infection.