title: Effect of the US3 protein of bovine herpesvirus 5 on the actin cytoskeleton and apoptosis.
abstract: The US3 protein is a unique protein kinase only present in the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily of the herpesviruses. Studies performed with several alphaherpesviruses demonstrated that the US3 protein is involved in cytoskeleton modifications during viral infection and displays anti-apoptotic activity. However, the US3 protein of BoHV-5 has not been studied up to now. As reported for other alphaherpesviruses, our results showed that BoHV-5 US3 confers resistance against apoptosis and induces cytoskeletal reorganization leading to cell rounding, actin stress fiber breakdown and cell projections that interconnect cells. The expression of a kinase-dead version of BoHV-5 US3 showed that the anti-apoptotic activity and the induction of cell projections are kinase-dependent whereas kinase activity is not absolutely required for actin stress fiber breakdown. Besides, the kinase-dead version of US3, but not the wild type protein, was found excluded from the nucleus. These results constitute the first report on the BoHV-5 US3 functions, and highlight that there are functional differences and similarities among US3 proteins of different alphaherpesviruses.
authors.affiliation: Virology Institute, Veterinary and Agricultural Science Research Centre, National Institute of Agricultural Technology, B1712WAA, Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina. fladelfa@qb.fcen.uba.ar
authors.forename: María Fátima
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ladelfa
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kotsias
authors.forename: María Paula
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Del Médico Zajac
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van den Broeke
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Favoreel
authors.forename: Sonia Alejandra
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Romera
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calamante
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000201:enzymology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D025881:Herpesvirus 5, Bovine / Q000201:enzymology*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014709:Vero Cells; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases