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Journal of Virology, July 1999, p. 6177-6181, Vol. 73, No. 7
Division of Pathobiology and
Immunology,1 Oregon Regional Primate Research
Center, Beaverton, Oregon 97006,1 and
Department of Molecular Microbiology and
Immunology,2 Oregon Health Sciences
University, Portland, Oregon 97201
Received 8 February 1999/Accepted 12 April 1999
The rhesus rhadinovirus strain 17577 (RRV strain 17577) genome is
essentially colinear with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8)/Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and encodes several analogous open reading frames (ORFs), including the homologue of cellular interleukin-6 (IL-6). To determine if the RRV IL-6-like ORF (RvIL-6) is
biologically functional, it was expressed either transiently in COS-1
cells or purified from bacteria as a glutathione
S-transferase (GST)-RvIL-6 fusion and analyzed by IL-6
bioassays. Utilizing the IL-6-dependent B9 cell line, we found
that both forms of RvIL-6 supported cell proliferation in a
dose-dependent manner. Moreover, antibodies specific to the IL-6
receptor (IL-6R) or the gp130 subunit were capable of
blocking the stimulatory effects of RvIL-6. Reciprocal titrations
of GST-RvIL-6 against human recombinant IL-6 produced a
more-than-additive stimulatory effect, suggesting that RvIL-6 does not
inhibit but may instead potentiate normal cellular IL-6 signaling
to B cells. These results demonstrate that RRV encodes an accessory
protein with IL-6-like activity.
0022-538X/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
A Rhesus Macaque Rhadinovirus Related to Kaposi's
Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus/Human Herpesvirus 8 Encodes a
Functional Homologue of Interleukin-6
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Oregon Regional
Primate Research Center, Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, 505 N.W. 185th Ave., Beaverton, OR 97006. Phone: (503) 690-5534. Fax: (503)
690-5524. E-mail: wongs{at}ohsu.edu.
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