Characterization of the chromosomal binding sites and dimerization partners of the viral oncoprotein Meq in Marek's disease virus-transformed T cells.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is an acute transforming alphaherpesvirus that causes T-cell lymphomas in chickens. We previously reported the identification of a putative oncogene, meq, that is encoded only by the oncogenic serotype of MDV. The gene product, Meq, is a latent protein that is consistently expressed in MDV-transformed lymphoblastoid cells and tumor cells.

Nanoparticles of compacted DNA transfect postmitotic cells.

Charge-neutral DNA nanoparticles have been developed in which single molecules of DNA are compacted to their minimal possible size. We speculated that the small size of these DNA nanoparticles may facilitate gene transfer in postmitotic cells, permitting nuclear uptake across the 25-nm nuclear membrane pore. To determine whether DNA nanoparticles can transfect nondividing cells, growth-arrested neuroblastoma and hepatoma cells were transfected with DNA/liposome mixtures encoding luciferase.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) encodes an interleukin-8 homolog (vIL-8): characterization of the vIL-8 protein and a vIL-8 deletion mutant MDV.

Chemokines induce chemotaxis, cell migration, and inflammatory responses. We report the identification of an interleukin-8 (IL-8) homolog, termed vIL-8, encoded within the genome of Marek's disease virus (MDV). The 134-amino-acid vIL-8 shares closest homology to mammalian and avian IL-8, molecules representing the prototype CXC chemokine.

Transcriptional analysis of Marek's disease virus glycoprotein D, I, and E genes: gD expression is undetectable in cell culture.

The various alphaherpesviruses, including Marek's disease virus (MDV), have both common and unique features of gene content and expression. The entire MDV U(s) region has been sequenced in our laboratory (P. Brunovskis and L.