Herpesvirus ateles Tio can replace herpesvirus saimiri StpC and Tip oncoproteins in growth transformation of monkey and human T cells.
Herpesvirus saimiri group C strains are capable of transforming human and simian T-lymphocyte populations to permanent antigen-independent growth. Two viral oncoproteins, StpC and Tip, that are encoded by a single bicistronic mRNA, act in concert to mediate this phenotype. A closely related New World monkey herpesvirus, herpesvirus ateles, transcribes a single spliced mRNA at an equivalent genome locus. The encoded protein, Tio, has sequence homologies to both StpC and Tip. We inserted the tio sequence of herpesvirus ateles strain 73 into a recombinant herpesvirus saimiri C488 lacking its own stpC/tip oncogene. Simian as well as human T lymphocytes were growth transformed by the chimeric Tio-expressing viruses. Thus, a single herpesvirus protein appears to be responsible for the oncogenic effects of herpesvirus ateles.
Albrecht
Jens-Christian
JC
Institut für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 4, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. jsalbrec@viro.med.uni-erlangen.de
Biesinger
Brigitte
B
Müller-Fleckenstein
Ingrid
I
Lengenfelder
Doris
D
Schmidt
Monika
M
Fleckenstein
Bernhard
B
Ensser
Armin
A
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006567:Herpesvirus 2, Saimiriine / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012452:Saguinus; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C092384:tyrosine kinase interacting protein, Saimiriine herpesvirus 2