title: Constitutive activation of Lck and Fyn tyrosine kinases in large granular lymphocytes infected with the gamma-herpesvirus agents of malignant catarrhal fever.
abstract: Large granular lymphocytes (LGL) with a T or natural killer (NK) lymphoblast morphology and indiscriminate (non-major histocompatibility complex-linked) cytotoxicity for a variety of target cells can be derived in culture from the tissues of animals infected with either alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AlHV-1) or ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2). In this study, LGL survival in the absence of exogenous interleukin-2 was inhibited by the protein kinase inhibitor genestein, but not the p70 s6 kinase inhibitor rapamycin. Constitutive activation of the src kinases Lck and Fyn was demonstrated in a bovine LGL line infected with OvHV-2 and in two rabbit LGL lines infected with AlHV-1. The p44 erk1 and p42 erk2 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) were also constitutively activated in the LGLs but not control T cells. Lck and Fyn kinase activity in the LGLs did not increase after mitogen (concanavalin A or concanavalin A plus phorbol ester) stimulation of the cells, in contrast to control T cells. Control T cells, but not the LGLs, proliferated after mitogen stimulation. An analysis of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in the cells indicated that the LGLs exhibited some similarities and differences to activated control T cells. The results demonstrate that the activated phenotype of the LGLs, associated with malignant catarrhal fever virus infection and in the absence of exogenous interleukin-2, involves constitutively activated Lck and Fyn kinases. These are normally crucial for the initial activation of T cells via several cell-surface receptors (e.g. the T-cell receptor and CD2). The inability of the LGLs to proliferate in response to mitogen may be due to an inability of Lck and Fyn to become further activated after mitogen stimulation.
authors.affiliation: The Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000276:immunology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000378:metabolism*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D008304:Malignant Catarrh / Q000276:immunology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008934:Mitogens / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; D011817:Rabbits; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008934:Mitogens; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine; D019833:Genistein; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1