ARS | Publication request: An MHC Class I Immune Evasion Gene of Marek's Disease Virus

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2010
Publication Date: October 18, 2010
Citation: Hunt, H.D., Hearn, C., Preeyanon, L., York, I.A. 2010. An MHC class I immune evasion gene of Marek's disease virus [abstract]. In: 5th International Workshop on the Molecular Pathogenesis of Marek's Disease Virus and 1st Symposium on Avian Herpesviruses, October 17-20, 2010, Athens, Georgia, p. 49.

Technical Abstract: Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) is a widespread pathogen of chickens that causes T cell tumors. Acute, but not latent, MDV infection has previously been shown to lead to MHC class I down-regulation (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 non-mammalian MHC class I immune evasion gene identified, and suggests that a-herpesviruses have conserved this function for at least 80 million years.