Studies on the molecular mechanisms for Marek's disease virus to increase its virulence in the field

为了阐明马立克氏病病毒（MDV）增强毒力的分子机制，对近年来从马立克氏病病毒（MDV）分离的几个毒株进行了基因分析。在MDV的一个基因meq中发现了差异/多态性，这可能与MDV毒力的增加有关。当我们分析meq基因中的这些二聚体/多态性对meq基因产物（Meq）的功能的影响时，由二聚体/多态性导致的氨基酸取代显著改变了Meq的反式激活和转化活性。这些结果表明，meq基因的双链/多态性可能有助于最近在该领域的MDV毒力的增加。

To clarify the molecular mechanisms for Marek's disease virus (MDV) to increase its virulence, several viral genes of MDV strains recently isolated from the field were analyzed. Diversities/polymorphisms were identified in one of the MDV genes, meq, that could be potentially related to the increase in MDV virulence. When we analyzed the effects of these diversities/polymorphisms in the meq gene on the functions of the meq gene product (Meq), the amino acid substitutions resulted from the diversities/polymorphisms significantly altered the transactivation and transforming activities of Meq. These findings suggest that the diversities/polymorphisms in the meq gene could contribute to the recent increase in MDV virulence in the field.