Transcription of few other pro-apoptotic genes such as bad and bax was decreased upon infection with both, WT- and ΔDUB-HCMV, suggesting no specific role of HCMV-DUB in regulating bad and bax, whereas transcription of caspase-8, and p21 was reduced only in WT-HCMV-infected HFFs, and remained unchanged in ΔDUB-HCMV-infected HFFs (Supplementary Figures S1f–S1i). Here, ZUP1 is linked to infection.