Role of Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV)-Encoded U S 3 Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase in Regulating MDV Meq and Cellular CREB Phosphorylation

Abstract

MDV is a potent oncogenic herpesvirus that induces T-cell lymphoma in infected chickens. Marek's disease continues to have a significant economic impact on the poultry industry worldwide. U S 3 encoded by alphaherpesviruses is a multifunctional kinase involved in the regulation of various cellular pathways. Using an MDV genome quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) array and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we elucidated the role of MDV U S 3 in viral and cellular gene regulation. Our results provide insights into how viral kinase regulates host cell signaling pathways to activate both viral and host gene expression. This is an important step toward understanding host-pathogen interaction through activation of signaling cascades.