title: Analysis of protein expression profiles in the thymus of chickens infected with Marek's disease virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Marek's disease virus (MDV) is a highly cell-associated oncogenic α-herpesvirus that causes a disease characterised by T-cell lymphomas. The pathogenesis, or the nature of the interaction of the virus and the host, in the thymus are still unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we identified 119 differentially expressed proteins using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry from the thymuses of chickens infected with the RB1B strain of MDV. These differentially expressed proteins were found mainly at 21, 28 and 35 days post-infection. More than 20 of the differentially expressed proteins were directly associated with immunity, apoptosis, tumour development and viral infection and replication. Five of these proteins, ANXA1, MIF, NPM1, OP18 and VIM, were further confirmed using real-time PCR. The functional associations and roles in oncogenesis of these proteins are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work provides a proteomic profiling of host responses to MDV in the thymus of chickens and further characterises proteins related to the mechanisms of MDV oncogenesis and pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, No,12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, P,R,China.
authors.forename: Xuming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Aijian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wencai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D025922:Mardivirus; D008380:Marek Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D060066:Protein Interaction Maps; D020543:Proteome; D040901:Proteomics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome; D012333:RNA, Messenger