The envelope glycoprotein of friend spleen focus-forming virus covalently interacts with and constitutively activates a truncated form of the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk.

ABSTRACT: The Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) encodes a unique envelope glycoprotein, gp55, which allows erythroid cells to proliferate and differentiate in the absence of erythropoietin (Epo). SFFV gp55 has been shown to interact with the Epo receptor complex, causing constitutive activation of various signal-transducing molecules. When injected into adult mice, SFFV induces a rapid erythroleukemia, with susceptibility being determined by the host gene Fv-2, which was recently shown to be identical to the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk/Ron. Susceptible, but not resistant, mice encode not only full-length Stk but also a truncated form of the kinase, sf-Stk, which may mediate the biological effects of SFFV infection. To determine whether expression of SFFV gp55 leads to the a

SUBMITTER: Nishigaki K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC115033 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature