Cowpox virus encodes a fifth member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family: a soluble, secreted CD30 homologue.
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.
Panus
Joanne Fanelli
JF
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Smith
Craig A
CA
Ray
Caroline A
CA
Smith
Terri Davis
TD
Patel
Dhavalkumar D
DD
Pickup
David J
DJ
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
D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins