Expression of Marek's disease virus (MDV) serotype 2 gene which has partial homology with MDV serotype 1 pp38 gene

Immune responses against Marek's disease virus

It is more than a century since Marek's disease (MD) was first reported in chickens and since then there have been concerted efforts to better understand this disease, its causative agent and various approaches for control of this disease. Recently, there have been several outbreaks of the disease in various regions, due to the evolving nature of MD virus (MDV), which necessitates the implementation of improved prophylactic approaches. It is therefore essential to better understand the interactions between chickens and the virus. The chicken immune system is directly involved in controlling the entry and the spread of the virus. It employs two distinct but interrelated mechanisms to tackle viral invasion. Innate defense mechanisms comprise secretion of soluble factors as well as cells such as macrophages and natural killer cells as the first line of defense. These innate responses provide the adaptive arm of the immune system including antibody- and cell-mediated immune responses to be tailored more specifically against MDV. In addition to the immune system, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the outcome of MDV infection in chickens. This review discusses our current understanding of immune responses elicited against MDV and genetic factors that contribute to the nature of the response.

Specific and nonspecific immune responses to Marek's disease virus

Marek's disease (MD) virus (MDV) has provided an important model to study immune responses against a lymphoma-inducing herpesvirus in its natural host. Infection in chickens starts with a lytic infection in B cells, followed by a latent infection in T cells and, in susceptible birds, T cell lymphomas develop. Non-specific and specific immune responses are important for the control of virus infection and subsequent tumor development. Interferon-gamma and nitric oxide are important for the control of virus replication during the lytic phase of infection and are also important to prevent reactivation of MDV replication in latently infected and transformed cells. Cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) are the most important of the specific immune responses in MDV. In addition to antigen-specific CTL against MDV proteins pp38, glycoprotein B (gB), Meq, and ICP4, ICP27-specific CTL can also be detected as early as 6 to 7 days post infection. The epitope for gB recognized by CTLs from P2a (MHC: B(19)B(19)) chickens has been localized to the Eco47III-BamHI (nucleotides 1515-1800) fragment. A proposed model for the interactions of cytokines and immune responses as part of the pathogenesis of MD is discussed.

The Leeuwenhoek Lecture, 1997. Marek's disease herpesvirus: oncogenesis and prevention

There are a number of neoplasias for which a herpesvirus is an essential part of the aetiology. Of these, Marek's disease is the most common and provides excellent opportunities for the study of a herpesvirus-induced tumour both experimentally and under natural conditions in the field. Marek's disease is caused by an alpha herpesvirus; it differs from the other oncogenic herpesviruses which are gamma herpesviruses. It is a ubiquitous virus in poultry populations of the world and is highly cell-associated and contagious, yet only a proportion of infected fowl develop tumours. Evidence is presented to suggest that at least one of the reasons for a wide variation in the incidence of the disease is a temporal interplay between virulent viruses and viruses of low or no virulence. The viral genes associated with the oncogenicity of Marek's disease virus (MDV) are discussed and it is concluded that it is likely that several genes are involved. Finally, a brief history of vaccination to control Marek's disease is given and mode of action discussed. It is concluded that the mechanism of protection is mainly through an antiviral cell mediated immune response, resulting in a lowered challenge virus burden. Marek's disease viruses over the past 40 years have been evolving greater oncogenicity, some of which are not adequately controlled by the vaccines that are currently available. It is suggested that for MDV to produce tumours, there is a need for the cytolytic infection phase and that infection must be with an MDV which possesses a functional gC, ICP4 for maintaining latency which allows the expression of at least the 1.8 kb family, pp38, meq, and possibly pp14 genes, for maintaining the tumour state and possibly initiating this state. Intervention in this process reduces the chance of tumour formation and incidence in a population which can occur through natural or man-mediated infection with non-pathogenic MDVs.