title: Characterization of vnr-13, the first alphaherpesvirus gene of the bcl-2 family.
abstract: The Bcl-2 family, including antiapoptotic and proapoptotic members, plays key regulating roles in programmed cell death. We report the characterization of a new member of the bcl-2 family, encoded by herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT). The product of this gene shares 80% homology with Nr-13, an apoptosis inhibitor, which is overexpressed in avian cells transformed by the v-src oncogene. This new gene, that we propose to call vnr-13, is the first member of the bcl-2 family to be isolated among alpha-herpesviruses. Results from cells expressing the HVT-vnr-13 gene product show that the encoded protein inhibits apoptosis and also reduces the rate of cellular proliferation. Contrary to all bcl-2 homologues found in gamma-herpesvirus, which are intronless, vnr-13 has the same organization as the cellular nr-13 gene. Hence, the HVT vnr-13 gene may have been acquired from a reverse transcriptase product of an unspliced precursor RNA, or via direct recombination with the host chromosomal DNA.
authors.affiliation: IBCP, UMR 5086 CNRS-Université Claude Bernard 7, Passage du Vercors, F69367 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: Abdel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aouacheria
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banyai
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigal
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Germain
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gillet
mesh_terms: D018138:Alphaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D030161:Avian Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D014422:Turkeys / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D030161:Avian Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C093264:NR13 protein, avian