title: Cowpox virus encodes a fifth member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family: a soluble, secreted CD30 homologue.
abstract: Cowpox virus (Brighton Red strain) possesses one of the largest genomes in the Orthopoxvirus genus. Sequence analysis of a region of the genome that is type-specific for cowpox virus identified a gene, vCD30, encoding a soluble, secreted protein that is the fifth member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family known to be encoded by cowpox virus. The vCD30 protein contains 110 aa, including a 21-residue signal peptide, a potential O-linked glycosylation site, and a 58-aa sequence sharing 51-59% identity with highly conserved extracellular segments of both mouse and human CD30. A vCD30Fc fusion protein binds CD153 (CD30 ligand) specifically, and it completely inhibits CD153/CD30 interactions. Although the functions of CD30 are not well understood, the existence of vCD30 suggests that the cellular receptor plays a significant role in normal immune responses. Viral inhibition of CD30 also lends support to the potential therapeutic value of targeting CD30 in human inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Joanne Fanelli
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Panus
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Terri Davis
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Dhavalkumar D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pickup
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D015608:Cowpox virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012516:Osteosarcoma; D010957:Plasmids; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins