title: M-T2: a poxvirus TNF receptor homologue with dual activities.
abstract: Poxviruses are experts at manipulating and evading the host's immune response. They have acquired a number of open reading frames which specifically confer direct anti-immune properties, either by mimicking cytokine receptors and growth factors or by disarming cytokine regulatory cascades. The Myxoma T2 protein (M-T2), a TNF receptor homologue, is secreted from virus infected cells and can bind TNF-alpha with high affinity, and thereby inhibit TNF-alpha-mediated cytotoxicity. M-T2 also acts to inhibit virus-induced lymphocyte apoptosis by an as yet undefined mechanism. As such, T2 constitutes a significant virulence factor for poxviruses, influencing the outcome of infection, both in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sedger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McFadden
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011212:Poxviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C104612:M-T2 protein, Myxoma virus; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014764:Viral Proteins