Expression of Marek's Disease Virus Oncoprotein Meq During Infection in the Natural Host.
Gallid herpesvirus 2 (Marek's disease virus, MDV) causes lymphoproliferative Marek's disease (MD), and is unique among alphaherpesviruses as the viral genome encodes an oncoprotein, Meq. To elucidate the temporal relationship between Meq expression and the development of MD lymphomas in infected chickens, we generated a virulent recombinant MDV that expresses GFP simultaneously with Meq. By using this virus, we monitored the dynamics of Meq expression in vivo throughout the course of infection. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the percentage of Meq-expressing cells dramatically increased in the early latent phase but decreased thereafter. Furthermore, we discovered evidences that indicate some of the infected lymphocytes did not express Meq during the latent phase of MDV pathogenesis. These findings provide the first insight into the temporal relationship between Meq expression and MD progression, and new clues to refine the current MD pathogenesis model.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
S-H Sheldon
SS
Tai
USDA-ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, MI, USA; Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Cari
C
Hearn
USDA-ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Sudawapee
S
Umthong
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Olga
O
Agafitei
USDA-ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Hans H
HH
Cheng
USDA-ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, MI, USA.
John R
JR
Dunn
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Electronic address: niikura@sfu.ca.
Masahiro
M
Niikura
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008381:Herpesvirus 2, Gallid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008380:Marek Disease / Q000821:virology*; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
C100369:Eco-Q protein, Gallid herpesvirus 2; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
Gallid herpesvirus 2; Marek's disease; Meq; bacterial artificial chromosome; flow cytometry; latent infection; oncogenesis; pathogenesis