Activation of bovine herpesvirus 4 lytic replication in a non-permissive cell line by overexpression of BoHV-4 immediate early (IE) 2 gene.
Bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) is a gammaherpesvirus with no clear disease association, it establishes persistent infections in its natural host, the bovine, and in an experimental host, the rabbit. BoHV-4 immediate early 2 (IE2) RNA is the less abundant, spliced, 1.8 kb RNA. The predicted amino acid sequence, of the IE2 protein, reveals that it could encode a 61 kDa protein with amino acid sequence homology to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transactivator R protein and its homologues including, herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2), murine herpesvirus 68 and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). We examined recently the interaction of BoHV-4 with a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line, RD-4, and found that although some infectious viruses can be produced, no cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed [J. Gen. Virol. 81 (2000) 1807]. Because IE2 could play a critical role in BoHV-4 productive infection and its overexpression in RD-4 cells could switch the non-permissive RD-4 status to a permissive one. RD-4 cells expressing stably BoHV-4 IE2 gene were generated. BoHV-4 IE2 induced an increased production of infectious viral particles sufficient to obtain an apparent cytopathic effect. It is concluded that BoHV-4 IE2 is a key factor in determining the outcome of BoHV-4 infection.
Donofrio
Gaetano
G
Sezione di Malattie Infettive degli Animali, Dipartimento di Salute Animale, via del Taglio 8, Parma 43100, Italy. gaetano.donofrio@unipr.it
Cavirani
Sandro
S
Taddei
Simone
S
Flammini
Cesidio Filippo
CF
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early / Q000235:genetics*; D026021:Herpesvirus 4, Bovine / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D007438:Introns; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014775:Virus Activation
D017931:DNA Primers