Effect of Insertion and Deletion in the Meq Protein Encoded by Highly Oncogenic Marek's Disease Virus on Transactivation Activity and Virulence.

ABSTRACT: Marek's disease virus (MDV) causes malignant lymphoma in chickens (Marek's disease, MD). Although MD is currently controlled by vaccination, MDV strains have continuously increased in virulence over the recent decades. Polymorphisms in Meq, an MDV-encoded oncoprotein that serves as a transcription factor, have been associated with the enhanced virulence of the virus. In addition, insertions and deletions in Meq have been observed in MDV strains of higher virulence, but their contribution to said virulence remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the contribution of an insertion (L-Meq) and a deletion in the Meq gene (S-Meq) to its functions and MDV pathogenicity. Reporter assays revealed that both insertion and deletion enhanced the transactivation potential of Meq. Additionally, we

SUBMITTER: Sato J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8876991 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature