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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #80852
Title: BIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MAREK'S DISEASE VIRUS LATENT PROTEIN MEQ

Author
item Lee, Lucy
item Liu, Juinn Lin
item KUNG, HSING-JIEN - CASE WESTERN RES. UNIV.

Submitted to: American Veterinary Medical Association Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Marek's disease virus (MDV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus and induces T lymphomas in chickens. MEQ, a candidate oncogene of MDV, encodes a basic leucine-zipper (bZIP) transcription factor which dimerizes with itself and c-Jun and has a C-terminal proline-rich domain with potent transactivation activity. MEQ was identified as a protein persistently expressed in MDV- induced tumor and T-cell lines. As such, it may function in viral latency and/or in viral oncogenesis. This study provides evidence that MEQ is expressed in the nucleus with a predominant fraction in the nucleoli and coiled bodies. This is the first bZIP protein to be identified in the nucleoli and may provide new leads to uncover other novel functions of MEQ.