The pp38 gene of Marek's disease virus (MDV) is necessary for cytolytic infection of B cells and maintenance of the transformed state but not for cytolytic infection of the feather follicle epithelium and horizontal spread of MDV.
Marek's disease virus has a unique phosphoprotein, pp38, which is suspected to play an important role in Marek's disease pathogenesis. The objective of the present study was to utilize a mutant virus lacking the pp38 gene (rMd5Deltapp38) to better characterize the biological function of pp38. This work shows that the pp38 gene is necessary to establish cytolytic infection in B cells but not in feather follicle epithelium, to produce an adequate level of latently infected T cells, and to maintain the transformed status in vivo.
Gimeno
I M
IM
USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
Witter
R L
RL
Hunt
H D
HD
Reddy
S M
SM
Lee
L F
LF
Silva
R F
RF
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D002645:Chickens; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008381:Herpesvirus 2, Gallid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C071698:phosphoprotein pp38, Marek's disease virus