title: An MHC class I immune evasion gene of Marek׳s disease virus.
abstract: Marek׳s disease virus (MDV) is a widespread α-herpesvirus of chickens that causes T cell tumors. Acute, but not latent, MDV infection has previously been shown to lead to downregulation of cell-surface MHC class I (Virology 282:198-205 (2001)), but the gene(s) involved have not been identified. Here we demonstrate that an MDV gene, MDV012, is capable of reducing surface expression of MHC class I on chicken cells. Co-expression of an MHC class I-binding peptide targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (bypassing the requirement for the TAP peptide transporter) partially rescued MHC class I expression in the presence of MDV012, suggesting that MDV012 is a TAP-blocking MHC class I immune evasion protein. This is the first unique non-mammalian MHC class I immune evasion gene identified, and suggests that α-herpesviruses have conserved this function for at least 100 million years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Medicine & Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Cari
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hearn
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Likit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Preeyanon
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, 4279 East Mount Hope Road, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.
authors.forename: Henry D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. Electronic address: ite1@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: York
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000378:metabolism*; D057131:Immune Evasion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D025922:Mardivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Immune evasion; Major histocompatibility complex class I; Marek׳s disease virus