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This Article Full Text (Papers in Press[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: vir.0.014746-0v1 90/12/2865    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Marchetti, B. Articles by Campo, M. S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Marchetti, B. Articles by Campo, M. S. Agricola Articles by Marchetti, B. Articles by Campo, M. S.

The BPV-1 oncoprotein E5 inhibits equine MHC class I and interacts with equine MHC I heavy chain.

¹ University of Glasgow;
² Institute for Animal Health

³ E-mail: s.campo{at}vet.gla.ac.uk

BPV-1 is one of the etiologic agents of equine sarcoids. The viral major oncoprotein E5 is expressed in virtually all sarcoids, sarcoid cell lines and in vitro transformed equine fibroblasts. To ascertain whether E5 behaves in equine cells as it does in bovine cells, we introduced the E5 ORF into foetal equine fibroblasts (EqPalF). As observed in primary bovine fibroblasts (BoPalF), E5 by itself could not immortalise EqPalF and an immortalising gene, such as hTERT (hT), was required for the cells to survive selection. The EqPalF-hT-1E5 cells were morphologically transformed, elongated with many pseudopodia and capable of forming foci. Equine MHC class I was inhibited in these cells at least at two levels: transcription of MHC I heavy chain was inhibited and the MHC I complex was retained in the Golgi apparatus and prevented from reaching the cell surface. We conclude that, as in bovine cells and tumours, E5 is a player in transformation of equine cells and induction of sarcoids and a potential major cause of MHC I down-regulation and hence poor immune clearance of tumour cells..

Received 1 July 2009; accepted 6 August 2009.