title: Cytomegalovirus-encoded beta chemokine promotes monocyte-associated viremia in the host.
abstract: Chemokine homologs are encoded by many large DNA viruses, suggesting that they contribute to control of host leukocyte transmigration and trafficking during viral infection. Murine cytomegalovirus carries a CC (beta) chemokine homolog gene giving rise to two related proteins, murine cytomegalovirus chemokine 1 and 2 (MCK-1 and MCK-2). MCK-1 peptide was found to induce calcium signaling and adherence in murine peritoneal macrophages. Cells bearing human chemokine receptor CCR3 and the human macrophage THP1 cell line were responsive to MCK-1. This pattern suggested that MCK-1 might act as an agonist, promoting leukocyte trafficking during viral infection. Consistent with this prediction, MCK-1/MCK-2 mutant viruses exhibit dramatically reduced peak levels of monocyte-associated viremia in experimentally infected mice. Thus, MCK-1/MCK-2 appears to promote host leukocyte migration to initial sites of infection and may be responsible for attracting monocytes or macrophages that efficiently disseminate virus in the host.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305-5124, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saederup
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dairaghi
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Schall
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Mocarski
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D018925:Chemokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014766:Viremia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D019742:Chemokines, CC; C121662:MCK-1 protein, Mouse cytomegalovirus 1; C121663:MCK-2 protein, Mouse cytomegalovirus 1; D014764:Viral Proteins; D002118:Calcium